Armed forces nursing
The first female nursing staff employed by the British Army consisted of six nurses and a superintendent located at the military hospital in Woolwich, London, in 1861, with others following suit as more military hospitals opened throughout the 1860s and 70s. By 1898 there was even a hospital for the wives and children of soldiers. Nurses have served with the British armed forces since the Army Nursing Service was established in 1881. The earliest medals awarded to nurses were the South African Medal from the Zulu uprising in 1880 (Boer War) and the Egypt Medal for the Egyptian campaigns of 1882-89.
The Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (est 1902) used single or crossed As in its badge design. Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve (est 1897) issued a large impressive round silver badge to its members until 1908 when it became the QAIMNS Reserve. The QAIMNS and its reserve became the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps in 1949, integrated within the regular army.
The Territorial Force Nursing Service was established in 1908. It later became the Territorial Army Nursing Service. Their badges were bronze.
The Royal Navy had a number of hospitals which employed a civilian Naval Nursing Service from 1884. The service was renamed Queen Alexandra’s Naval Nursing Service in 1902 and existed outside Royal Navy regulation until 1977. Hospital ships were in use by the navy and army on campaigns since the 1650s. The hospital ship moored in Greenwich (HMS Grampus, later replaced by HMS Dreadnought) became known as the Seaman’s Hospital. In 1870 the patients were transferred ashore to the nearby Infirmary of Greenwich Hospital. They issued the Dreadnought badge to staff and patients. The Royal Naval School of Nursing was established in 1962 and issued a badge from 1966.
The Air Force Nursing Service was established in 1918 and gained Princess Mary as Patron in 1923, altering their name accordingly. They began a nurse training school for state enrolled nurses at the RAF Hospital at Halton in 1963, which issued badges.