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Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital MillbankInformation about the Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital (QAMH) in Millbank, London The Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Millbank (QAMH) opened in July 1905. It was situated by the River Thames in SW1 London adjacent to the Tate Gallery. As with other military hospitals built in this era it was constructed to the Nightingale pattern. Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Millbank was officially opened by King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra, the President of the QAs cited in the book Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Famous Regts. S)  by Juliet Piggott).
One of the first Matrons at the QAMH Millbank was Dame Maud McCarthy. The book Sub Cruce Candida: A Celebration of One Hundred Years of Army Nursing  has a photograph of one of the wards at Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital, Millbank, London ready for inspection by the Matron.
The Army Medical School moved to a temporarily location in London in 1902 from the Royal Victoria Military Hospital Netley and then into Millbank College in 1907. During World War Two the Muster point for Number 3 British General Hospital (BGH) was at Millbank and their destination was Offranville (cited in Quiet Heroines: Nurses of the Second World War  ) by Brenda McBryde.
The wards of the QAMH were named after RAMC holders of the Victoria Cross. For example this included the Martin Leake Ward for senior officers. A QARANC wall plaque and shield is available to buy through Amazon. The QA shield is hand made and ready to hang on the wall. . Buy Now. 
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Millbank Hospital Kitchen Photo The Millbank Hospital kitchen photo below shows the staff of the Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Millbank kitchens. The lady on the right of the photograph is Elizabeth Floodgate (nee Axten) who was a cook. Her grandson recalls a humorous family story which tells of her carrying a pot of custard from the kitchen to a ward and bumped, quite literally, into the King who was visiting! 
Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Millbank closed as a Military Hospital in the 1970s and some staff were to work at the soon to be opened QEMH Woolwich. The book Sub Cruce Candida: A Celebration of One Hundred Years of Army Nursing cites the date of the closure of Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Millbank being the 2 April 1977.
The QAMH became a training facility for Laboratory Technicians (Lab Techs) and Doctors for the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). This in turn closed in 2005 and training moved to Portsmouth. The Tate Gallery hoped to purchase these Grade I and II listed buildings and they were eventually sold off to the Chelsea College of Art and Design. George Wright (RAMC) has been kind enough to research what was on the site of the former QAMH and share his memories: The actual hospital site itself now forms part of Tate Britain while the part that housed the Chelsea College of Art and Design was in fact the fine Royal Army Medical College (where I trained as a Lab Tech from 1970-72 before being appointed to QAMH, and which served not only as the training establishment for doctors but as the Officer's Mess for the RAMC/RADC stationed at the Millbank complex). According to the map on the current Tate Britain website however it looks as if at least part of that property may have reverted to the Tate, or been removed to allow for the Atterbury building. It is difficult to tell from the scale but alternatively it is just possible that the Atterbury replaces Millbank Barracks, which is where I and other RAMC and male ORs (cooks, drivers etc) lived. As far as I could detect when I last went to the site in around 2004 the only part of the Millbank complex which was still more or less intact was the QARANC quarters further down John Islip Street (at the side of the hospital). I am now disabled and unable to get around much, so can't help as to the continued existence or otherwise of that equally impressive (if somewhat austere) building. As far as memories go, perhaps the fondest one I have is of the QA Major in charge of Martin Leake Ward, which was the ward reserved for senior officers (Generals and above). If I recall right all - or at least most of - the wards were named after RAMC holders of the Victoria Cross. Anyway once I was beeped by the Consultant Pathologist (a full Colonel) as he was having difficulty taking blood from someone on the senior officer ward. It was normal for senior staff to work there. When I arrived I found myself in the presence of (retired) Field Marshal Montgomery and, under the ward Sister's close supervision, and the Colonel's slightly amused oversight, was allowed to take blood from the great man. Field Marshal Montgomery complimented me on my skill, saying he was always a bit scared of needles but hadn't felt a thing and found my manner reassuring and helpful. He more or less ordered the Colonel to ensure that I always took his blood in future, and suggested the same should apply to all who came on the ward. Although the ward Sister still frightened me to death and always insisted I present myself to her for inspection before seeing a patient, she took Viscount Montgomery at his word and always asked for me to attend her patients. Eventually she would offer me coffee after I had performed whatever task was necessary. After the army, I went on to become a psychologist. George M Wright. Memorial Plaque Mill Bank held a memorial tablet to the matrons, sisters and nurses of the military nursing services. This included members of the QAIMNS (Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service), the Reserves (QAIMNSR) and TANS (Territorial Army Nursing Services) This marble memorial plaque was unveiled by Field Marshal Sir William Slim the CIGS. The memorial plaque was dedicated by the Chaplain General in the Millbank Chapel in 1949 (cited in the book Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Famous Regts. S) by Juliet Piggott).
It was situated in the North West corner of the Chapel of the Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Millbank. 
The 33 names on the memorial span death dates from 1924 to 1934 but we are unsure why some of the names are on the memorial since many of the Sisters did not serve in France during the Great War and few named died in service. There is a high proportion of Matrons, so there must have been strong selection from amongst the 9000 plus QAs who served in WW1. Not all were recipients of the RRC. It is thought that it could have been a gift of the Matron-in-Chief, in recognition of generally outstanding service. Of the 33, 29 were QAIMNS, 1 QAIMNS(R) (Buchanan), 2 QAMFNS (Christophersen and Tyndall), 1 ANS (Jeffcott). 17 had RRC, 1 ARRC, 1 MM (Matron Tunley), 1 MBE (Todd). When the QAMH was decommissioned it was moved to QEMH Woolwich and then to the Aldershot Garrison Church when the QEMH closed. With thanks to Paul White, WO2 Williams at Deepcut and the Padre of Aldershot Garrison Church for researching the location of the plaque, the photography, and adding to the information about its history. There are more photos of the Aldershot Garisson Church memorials to QAs on the War Graves Memorials Nurses page. QA Memorial Window to Florence Nightingale The book Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Famous Regts. S) by Juliet Piggott discusses the QA Memorial Window to Florence Nightingale that members of the QAIMNS had subscribed too so that it could be place in the QAMH Millbank Chapel. Funds were raised by members of the QAs and through private donations.
Unfortunately the design was not officially approved by the designers of the Millbank Chapel. So instead a stained glass window depicted the scene of the Ascension of Jesus Christ and the three women finding his empty tomb was placed instead. This was later to be moved to the QEMH Woolwich Chapel when the QAMH closed. The book describes some of the correspondence between the Matron in Chief Miss Becher and officers of the RAMC regarding the storage of the QA Memorial Window to Florence Nightingale. The address was: The Royal Army Medical College Millbank John Islip Street London SW1 If you would like to add any information to this page, share your memories or send me a picture or photograph of Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital MillBank then please contact me. Friends of Milbank Friends of Milbank are a group with an interest in military medical history with the history of Millbank Military Hospital in particular. Friends of Milbank meet at the former site of the Headquarter Officers’ Mess for the Royal Army Medical Corps where lectures take place in the former RAMC lecture theatre. For more information visit the Friends of Milbank web site at www.friendsofmillbank.org 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 *********************************************** 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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