Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the

nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

branch of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

. It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service (RAFNS) in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment as the Royal Air Force Nursing Service on 27 January 1921. It received the Royal prefix after Princess Mary agreed to become its

Patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

in June 1923. It was a women-only branch until 1980, when men were also permitted to join. Until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it was only open to unmarried women, or childless widows. There was also a Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (Reserve) (PMRAFNS(R)) to supplement the regular service during times of war or emergencies. A history of the service was commissioned from the writer Mary Mackie and appeared in 2001. An updated and extended edition covering subsequent decades (including service in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

) was published in September 2014.

Ranks

The initial ranking system used by the PMRAFNS was as follows. From 1 June 1943, PMRAFNS personnel were granted emergency Commissions, and wore rank

insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. An insignia, which is typically made of metal or fabric, is a standalone sy ...

corresponding to their equivalent Royal Air Force

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

rank. On 1 February 1949, the women's forces were integrated into the Armed Forces, and a new ranking system was introduced, although professional titles were still used on the wards. Other Ranks were introduced in 1956, although unqualified Nursing Orderlies had previously served in the

Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs (), was the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during the World War II, Second World War. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 181,000 at its peak ...

and Women's Royal Air Force. They held standard RAF ranks. Officers used the separate ranking system until 1980, when they too adopted RAF ranks.

Hospitals

The RAF had several hospitals which were staffed by nurses from the PMRAFNS. These were located at Akrotiri, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, Ely, Halton Nocton Hall, Lincolnshire,

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

, Wegberg and

Wroughton Wroughton is a large village and civil parish in northeast Wiltshire, England. It is part of the Borough of Swindon and lies along the A4361 road, A4361 between Swindon and Avebury; the road into Swindon crosses the M4 motorway between junc ...

Matrons-in-Chief

* Dame Joanna Cruickshank, 1918–1930 * Dame Katherine Watt, 1930–1938 * Dame Emily Blair, 1938–1943 * Dame Gladys Taylor, 1943–1948 * Air Commandant Dame Helen Cargill, 1948–1952 * Air Commandant Dame Roberta Whyte, 1952–1956 * Air Commandant Dame Alice Williamson, 1956–1959 * Air Commandant Dame Alice Lowrey, 1959–1963 * Air Commandant Dame Veronica Ashworth, 1963–1966 * Air Commandant Dame Pauline Giles, 1966–1970 * Air Commandant Ann McDonald, 1970–1972 * Air Commandant Barbara Ducat-Amos, 1972–1978 * Air Commodore Joan Metcalfe, 1978–1981 * Air Commodore Joy Harris, 1981–1984 * Air Commodore April Reed, 1984–1985 * Group Captain Mary Shaw, 1985–1988 * Group Captain Elizabeth Sandison, 1988–1991 * Group Captain Ethnea Hancock, 1991–1994 * Air Commodore Valerie Hand, 1994–1997 * Air Commodore Bob Williams, 1997–2001 * Group Captain Annie Reid, 2001–2004 * Group Captain Wendy Williams, 2004–2006 * Group Captain Jackie Gross, 2006–2010 * Group Captain Phil Cushen, 2010–2013 * Group Captain Phil Spragg, 2013–2015 * Group Captain Michael Priestley, 2015–2018 * Group Captain Fionnuala Bradley, 2018–2021 * Group Captain Emma Redman, 2021–

Early matrons of the new Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service

* Laura Margaret Holroyde, RRC and bar, was

Matron Matron is the job title of a very senior or the chief nurse in a hospital in several countries, including the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries and former colonies. Etymology The chief nurse, in other words the person in charge ...

of a new Royal Flying Corps Hospital, later renamed as the Royal Air Force Hospital, in Eton Square, London from 1917 to 1919. She had trained at The London Hospital under Matron Eva Luckes. From June 1921 Holroyde became matron of the

London Fever Hospital The London Fever Hospital was a voluntary hospital financed from public donations in Liverpool Road in Islington, London. It was one of the first fever hospitals in the country. History Originally established with 15 beds in 1802 in Gray's Inn R ...

until 1946.

References and notes

External links