Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

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 corresponding to their equivalent Royal Air Force officer 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 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, Uxbridge, Wegberg and Wroughton.

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 of a new Royal Flying Corps Hospital, later renamed as the Royal Air Force Hospital, in Eton Square, London from 1917 to 1919.Laura Margaret Holroyde, Register of Sisters and Nurses; RLHLH/N/4/3, 133; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London

She had trained at The London Hospital under Matron Eva Luckes. From June 1921 Holroyde became matron of the London Fever Hospital until 1946.

References and notes

References

1. Mary Mackie: ''Sky Wards - A History of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service'' (London: Robert Hale, 2001).
2. Mary Mackie: ''Wards in the Sky – the RAF's Remarkable Nursing Service'' (The History Press, UK, 2014, {{ISBN. 9780750959568).
3. Phased out during the Second World War.
4. Initially called Superintending Sister, but renamed after a few years.
5. Introduced later than other ranks.
6. Introduced later than other ranks, possibly not until the Second World War.
7. An honorary rank held only by [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood. Princess Mary]] (7 October 1950) and [[Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. Princess Alexandra]] (1 November 1966).
8. "RAF - PM MDHU History".
9. (14 January 1977). "Dame Veronica Ashworth (Obituary)". The Times.
10. (28 October 2005). "Air Commandant Dame Pauline Parsons". The Times.
11. "History".
12. "BLDSS".
13. (10 November 2021). "Welcome to Group Captain Emma Redman DNS RAF". Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service Association.
14. Laura Margaret Holroyde, Register of Probationers; RLHLH/N/1/15, 138
15. Matrons Report to House Committee, 8 January 1917; House Committee Minutes, 1916–1918; RLHLH/A/5/55, 160; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London
16. Rogers, Sarah (2022). 'A Maker of Matrons'? A study of Eva Lückes's influence on a generation of nurse leaders:1880–1919' (Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield, April 2022)
17. (14 June 1919). "Royal Air Force, Royal Red Cross". [[The British Journal of Nursing]].