Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service
Nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force. It was established in 1918 as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service and became a permanent establishment in 1921. The service received its royal prefix in 1923 after Princess Mary agreed to become its Patron.
Quick Facts
- Unit name
- Royal Air Force Nursing Service
- Dates
- 1 June 1918–present, (originally as Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service)
- Country
- United Kingdom United Kingdom
- Allegiance
- HM The King
- Branch
- United Kingdom, RAF Medical Services
- Role
- Medicine
- Garrison
- Air Command, RAF High Wycombe
- Ceremonial chief
- Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- RAF hospitals staffed by PMRAFNS nurses were located at Akrotiri, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, Ely, Halton Nocton Hall, Lincolnshire, Aden, Uxbridge, Wegberg and Wroughton.
- Laura Margaret Holroyde, RRC and bar, was Matron of a Royal Flying Corps Hospital (later the Royal Air Force Hospital) in Eton Square, London from 1917 to 1919.
- A reserve branch, Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (Reserve), supplemented the regular service during wars or emergencies.
Ranks
From June 1943, nurses in the service received emergency commissions and wore insignia equal to their RAF officer counterparts. When women’s forces joined the regular military in February 1949, a new rank system began, though professional ward titles stayed. Enlisted roles appeared in 1956; before that, untrained nursing orderlies from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and Women’s Royal Air Force held standard RAF ranks. Officers kept their own rank structure until 1980, when they switched to RAF ranks.
More in Nursing Organisations in the United Kingdom
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