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Director Army Nursing Services (DANS) and Matron-in-Chief (Army)


Information about the role of Director Army Nursing Services (DANS) and Matron-in-Chief (Army) within the QARANC with the Officers who have held this position and dates of service:


The most senior member of the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps is the DANS whose full title is Director Army Nursing Services (DANS) and Matron-in-Chief (Army).

He or she is the highest serving Officer of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps in overall charge of the QARANC.

Upon appointment the DANS becomes the ex-officio President of the QARANC Association.

The current Director Army Nursing Services and Matron-in-Chief (Army) is Colonel Wendy J Spencer RRC QHN L/QARANC.






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Previous Directors Army Nursing Services and Matron-in-Chief (Army) of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps


? to 2008 Colonel John DF Quinn OStJ and QHN (Officer of the Order of St John and Queen's Honorary Nurse). Col Quinn retired in June 2008.

2002 to 2005 Colonel Kathy George CBE (Commander of the British Empire).

1999 to 2002 Colonel Bridget McEvilly

? to 1999 Brigadier Jane Mary Arigho, CBE, Royal Red Cross Medal

1981-84 Brigadier Vera Rooke. Brigadier Vera Rooke died on Sunday 13 September.

1973 to ? Brigadier Helen Cattanach RRC QHNS (Queen's Honorary Nursing Sister) More information and photo below.

1968 to 1973 Brigadier Barbara Gordon CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath) RRC, QHNS (Queen's Honorary Nursing Sister)

1964 to 1968 Brigadier Dame Margot Turner DBE (Dame British Empire), RRC, QHNS (Queen's Honorary Nursing Sister).

1960 to 1964 Brigadier Dame Barbara Cozens DBE, RRC, QHNS

1956 to 1960 Dame Monica Johnson Golding DBE (Dame of the British Empire) RRC, QHNS

1952 to 1956 Brigadier Dame Helen Shiels Gillespie DBE, RRC, QHNS (Queen's Honorary Nursing Sister).

The first Director Army Nursing Services (DANS) and Matron-in-Chief (Army) for the QARANC was Dame Louisa J. Wilkinson DBE, RRC on the 1 February 1949, though I note that Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Famous Regts. S) by Juliet Piggott cites this as being Brigadier Dame Anne Thomson DBE, RRC, KHNS (King's Honorary Nursing Sister) from the 1 February 1949 to 1952.

In the early days of the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) nurses were under the directorship of the Director General Army Medical Services.


Dame Monica Johnson

Dame Monica Johnson studied midwifery at the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital next to the CMH Aldershot and joined the Queen Alexandra’s Military Families Nursing Service (QAMFNS) in 1925. The QAMFNS was amalgamated into the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) in 1926. Dame Monica Johnson saw her new service when the QAIMNS became a Corps to become the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) in 1949. Six years later Dame Monica Johnson became the Director Army Nursing Services (DANS) and Matron-in-Chief (Army) and after her retirement she continued her association with the QAs when she was appointed Colonel Commandant of the QARANC in 1961.



Brigadier Helen S Cattanach

Brigadier Helen Cattanach Brigadier Helen S Cattanach was the Director Army Nursing Services (DANS) and Matron-in-Chief (Army) of the QARANC between 1973 and ?. Upon retirement she was appointed the Colonel Commandant QARANC on the 30 June 1978.

Helen S Cattanach was born in Knockando in Morayshire and attended Elgin Academy. She trained as a State Registered Nurse at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen. During World War Two she became a member of the Civil Nursing Reserve and joined the QAIMNS (R) in June 1945. One year later she became a regular Nursing Sister of the QAIMNS. Her first 12 years of military service saw her nurse in India, Singapore, Java, Germany, Egypt and Gibraltar with postings throughout the United Kingdom Military Hospitals.

In 1958 Sister Helen Cattanach became a Staff Officer at the Army Medical Directorate at the War Office. In 1961 Helen Cattanach became the first QA officer to work at the recruiting branch of the War Office.

Helen Cattanach was awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal in 1963.

Sister Helen Cattanach then moved back to nursing where she became a ward sister in Hong Kong. Promotion soon followed and she became the Matron at BMH Munster in 1968 and then Matron at the Cambridge Military Hospital in 1969.

Colonel Helen Cattanach was then appointed the first Director of Studies QARANC. In December 1972 Col Helen Cattanach was promoted to Brigadier and appointed the Matron-in-Chief and Director of Army Nursing Services. She is noted for setting up a Regimental Headquarters for the QARANC. In 1973 she was appointed Queen’s Honorary Nursing Sister (QHNS) and in January 1976 she was awarded the CB (Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath).

Brigadier Cattanach lived in Woking in her retirement and was appointed to the position of Colonel Commandant on the 30 June 1978. She was the Chairman of the Millbank Branch of the QARANC Association.

Brigadier Helen Cattanach CB RRC QHNS (Queen's Honorary Nursing Sister) died on the 4 May 1994, aged 73 years. The obituary of Brigadier Helen S Cattanach CB RRC was published in The Gazette of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps Association Vol. 10 No. 11 and was written by Major (Retd) D J Machray.




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The latest book about British Army nurses and nursing describes a dark chapter in the history of the QAs. The Real Tenko: Extraordinary True Stories of Women Prisoners of the Japanese by Mark Felton is an account of the fall of the Far East to Japan. It comprehensively covers war atrocities performed by the Japanese troops to women stationed in places such as Singapore and Hong Kong. This included Sisters of the QAs who were stationed in hospitals such as BMH Bowen Road Hong Kong and BMH Singapore. Read the Qaranc.co.uk review or Buy Now with free delivery available.


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



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.


For the official Army QARANC webpage please go to
www.army.mod.uk/home.aspx
For the QARANC Association website please go to
www.army.mod.uk/army-medical-services/qaranc/9884.aspx


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Help Needed

A reader of Qaranc.co.uk is researching the exhumation of Heinrich Himmler in Luneberg, Germany circa 1945-46. He thinks that two nurses from the QAIMNS attended the exhumation due to the poor state of health of Walter Schellenberg. He would like to learn if any of the nurses kept a diary of the events leading up to the exhumation or sent any personal letters home to friends or family that may have provided an insight into Walter Schellenberg and the exhumation. Please contact Qaranc.co.uk if you have any information.



Qaranc.co.uk have recently learnt about two former Military Hospitals that we would like to write about. These are the British Military Hospital at Wuppertal in Germany and BMH Benghazi. If you know any information, would like to share your memories or have photographs that we can use on the site then please contact Qaranc.co.uk



A reader is writing an article about the demise of the Military Hospital for the RAMC Magazine and seeks some help. There was, in Kuala Lumpur, a hospital called BMH Kinrara. He would like to know when it opened and closed, what happened to the buildings and the staff. He thinks that Kinrara closed as Terendak opened and that the staff were transferred across to 34 Company RAMC? He would also like any information about the Military Maternity Hospital, Penang. If you can help then please contact Qaranc.co.uk



There is a lovely photo of three QA Midwives from the 1960s about half way down on the Royal Herbert Hospital page. If you can help with information about the Maternity Unit in Woolwich or identify the QA Officers then please contact Qaranc.co.uk


The BMH Dhekelia has new photos which includes a stunning picture of the demolition of the original building and some staff photos. The contributor would like some help with the date it was demolished and would love to hear from anyone who worked with her relative.





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