QA Association

History Of The QARANC Association

• Record achievements
  
  
• Record the history and traditions
  
  
• Share records
  
  
• Keep traditions going
  
  
• Offer practical help and support to members
  
  
• Offer friendship
  
  
• Keeping past and present members in touch with each other
  
  
• Organise social gatherings
  
  
• Represent members
  
  
• Hold a yearly re-union and Annual General Meeting
  
  
• Encourage acts of benevolence amongst members

Vice President

Chairman

Vice Chairman

QA Territorial Army representative

Two serving QA officers

Four elected members


The Motto of the QA Association is Friendship.

Branches of the QA Association exist throughout the UK and the world. These include Aldershot, Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove, Catterick, Chester, Colchester, London, The Midlands, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Scotland, Wales and the West Country. Personnel can join their nearest branch or elect to just remain on the central Headquarter Roll.

QA Association branches will host functions and events to bring members together,

QA Gazette

The QA Association publish the QA Gazette magazine twice a year. These magazines have articles of interest to existing and former members such as news, sporting events, medal awards, birth, death and marriage notifications and articles. Branches and individual members are encouraged to contribute letters and articles.

The first QA Gazette was published in January 1950 (cited in the book Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Famous Regts. S) by Juliet Piggott).

How To Join The QA Association

Contact the QA Association at:

QARANC Association
Regimental Headquarters QARANC
Army Medical Services HQ
Former Army Staff College
Slim Road
Camberley
Surrey
GU15 4NP

Or by e-mail at: judith.evans387@mod.uk

Telephone: (01276) 412754

Costs And Prices Of Joining The QA Association

There is a small yearly fee to join the QA Association and the cost depends on the area you live because of postage prices for sending the QA Gazette. There are listed below. We would advise contacting the secretary of the QA Association for up to date prices and direct debit forms. You will normally be required to send a cheque for your first year membership and to complete a direct debit form for the yearly membership thereafter. This annual payment will normally be taken directly from your bank or building society in January.

Annual Subscription including Gazette for the UK, Northern Ireland or the Isle Of Man is £12
Annual Subscription including Gazette for Europe and Eire is £16
Annual Subscription including Gazette for all other destinations is £20

Members can also buy a QA Association Brooch for £5.


The links below take you directly to the official Army website for pdf printable forms for:

QA Association Application Form

QA Association Direct Debit Form

QA Association Gift Aid Certificate


QA Association Branches

The branches of the QA Association are Aldershot, Bournemouth, Catterick, Colchester, Chester, Midland, Millbank (London), Newcastle, Portsmouth, West Country, Scottish, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The overseas branches of the QA Association are Cyprus and Germany.


For more information see the official army website which has a page about the QA Association at www.army.mod.uk where there is also an e-mail to contact the General Secretary.



Pictured above is Private Karla Partridge from Woodbridge at her passing out parade in 1987 at the QATC. Pte Partridge went on to her student nurse training at QEMH Woolwich and CMH Aldershot.


Newcastle Branch Calendar of Events 2009

Branches of the QA Association hold events throughout the year. Below are some of the Newcastle branch calendar of events for 2009:

Saturday 17 May 2009 at 1200 - Meeting with lunch. Speaker Coroners Officer. Fenham Barracks.

Friday 17th July - Day trip To South Shields. Meet at SS Metro 1030.

Saturday 12th September at 1200. Meeting with speaker at Fenham Barracks.

Friday 6th November at 1900 - Remembrance evening at the Lancaster Suite of Fed Brewery.

Saturday 7th November at 1200 - Meeting (1930 Past & present) at Fenham Barracks.

Sunday 8th Nov at 1000 - Remembrance Parade. Eldon Square Fenham Barracks.

Friday 4th December at 1700. Christmas Function 5 Bridges Gateshead.

Saturday 9th January 2010 at 1200 Bring and Buy Soup and cheese Lunch. Fenham Barracks

Please confirm detail with secretary



60th Anniversary Celebrations of the QA Association

The photograph below was taken at the 60th anniversary celebrations of the QA Association which were held in the grounds of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the presence of the Colonel in Chief and the Patron of the QA Association, HRH The Countess of Wessex in 2007. 250 past and present members of the Corps enjoyed one of the sunniest days of the summer. The photo was of a group of past and present theatre sisters.


There is a photo of the HRH The Countess of Wessex cutting the 60th anniversary cake on the Colonel in Chief page.



In 2009 members of the QARANC Association recently made a trip to the Far East. Read more with photos on the QARANC Association Pilgrimage to Singapore and Malaysia 2009 page.



The Real Tenko

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.