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PoppyAppeal



QARANC - Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps


Information about the QARANC The Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps


QARANC The QARANC (Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps) has served the nursing and medical needs of the British army, their allies, prisoners of war and local civilians since 1854. Though they were then known as the Army Nursing Service and then the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service before becoming QA's and forming the corps of QARANC in 1949. Read more about the history of the QA's.




QA Nursing In modern times QARANC personnel serve in NHS hospitals alongside civilian staff and at Ministry of Defence Hospital Units. QA's work alongside the army, navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) in field hospitals alongside the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and with units and battalions with a variety of regiments and corps in the field and in Medical Units at camps throughout the UK and the world. As an example the QARANC are mobilised in the Field Hospital in Iraq and Afghanistan and the newly created Close Support Hospital (CSH) and Small Hospital Unit (SHU) see QAs near what would have traditionally been called the Front Line providing life saving nursing support.



Old Army Hospital In the last two centuries a QA may have served in one of the many military hospitals within the UK and overseas in locations like Germany and Cyprus. The oldest surviving military hospital is the Royal Herbert which was redeveloped into luxury apartments and still retains many features of the army hospital. Other former military hospitals have been converted into NHS facilities such as the QEMH Woolwich whilst many remain firmly fixed in the memories of former and serving QA's like the CMH Aldershot.


QA Badge Though many of the military hospitals are now closed the tradition and customs of the QARANC lives on in serving members and much of the historical artefacts are retained and on display at the QARANC Museum and over the years many traditions have been retained such as the QA Motto, the QA and AMS Prayer and the Cap Badge. These have been joined by modern ceremonies such as the Army Medical Services Christmas Carol Service.


QAIMNS nurses Since 1902, when the QAIMNS were formed, there have been notable members of the QAs and this continues into the modern day QARANC. This includes Dame Maud McCarthy who gave outstanding service during the Boer War and the First World War and Dame Margot Turner who saw active service in World War Two, survived being ship wrecked before being taken Prisoner by the Japanese Army . She survived and had an illustrious nursing and military career and became a Colonel Commandant of the QAs.

Five years later the QAs saw war service during the Korean War.




Help Needed: Qaranc.co.uk would like to add a page about the QA lanyard but need some help. Can anyone please help with a photo of the lanyard on the uniform and a photo of just the lanyard? It would also be helpful if anyone can give some tips on how to site and fit the lanyard. Please use the e-mail address on the contact page. Thank you!



Sisters In Arms: British Army Nurses Tell Their Story

Sisters In Arms: British Army Nurses Tell Their Story by Nicola Tyrer is an account of the QAs during the two World Wars. It includes first hand accounts of the Queen Alexandra nurses who were in the dressing stations, casualty clearing stations and field hospitals of Dunkirk, D Day, the fall of Singapore and many more locations where the QAIMNS served.

Buy Now.

Sisters In Arms: British Army Nurses Tell Their Story is also available as a talking book read by the actress Barbara Flynn and Sian Thomas. Buy Now.


View More British Army Nursing Books - with free delivery available.





Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps QARANC nurses have and still continue to serve their country worldwide. This takes them throughout the UK and in places such as Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belize, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, The Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. Anywhere the army is deployed then you are sure to find the QARANC. For this reason British Army nurses are highly trained in the latest military and nursing techniques and enjoy a dual role in the army. They are rewarded financially, socially and can gain many nursing qualifications. Read more on the joining the QARANC page.


In 2007 a QA Memorial was built at the newly opened National Memorial Arboretum which commemorates the service personnel killed since the Second World War.



A British Army Nurse In the Korean War

A newly published book about the QARANC is A British Army Nurse In The Korean War by Elizabeth Jilly McNair A British Army Nurse In the Korean War by Elizabeth Jilly McNair. QA Sister McNair saw active service in Korea and Japan and this book is based on her letters home and photographs she took during her 18 months spent nursing at the British Commonwealth General Hospital in Kure, Japan and the British Commonwealth Zone Medical Unit in Seoul, Korea. Buy Now!


If you would like to contribute to this page, suggest changes or inclusions to this website or would like to send me a photograph then please e-mail me.

The photos and pictures on this page have been kindly sent to us for inclusion on this page. If you would like to contribute photographs then please contact us.


Findextrawork

Find Extra Work Since leaving the QA's we have done an assortment of self employed work and jobs, some which only take an hour a week, others have been full time. We have written about these at our other website Findextrawork at www.findextrawork.co.uk where we share the information for free to help others with information and resources about earning more money. Visit Findextrawork for more information.


For the official Army QARANC webpage please go to
www.army.mod.uk/qaranc/index.html
For the QARANC Association website please go to
http://www.army.mod.uk/qaranc/qaranc_assn/index.htm




Present Day

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International Nurses Day


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Help Needed:
QARANC.co.uk would like you to share your memories of serving in the QA's, your fondest memories of military hospitals you may have served in or perhaps share any photographs and have them appear on the QARANC website. Any thoughts, articles and photos can be e-mailed or sent in the post using our contact details.



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