The Auxiliary Nursing Services 1914

[williywonker]

I am trying to understand the definition of the auxiliary nursing service in 1914. My thoughts are that they comprised the fully trained civilian nurses recruited by the JWC for service in military hospitals at home and overseas. The VAD's were organised by the Territorial Force but administered by the BRCS and Order of St John, so I assume they were technically part of the Army Nursing Service, rather than auxiliary?

I would appreciate any thoughts?

Mal

Edited 7 May , 2023 by williywonker
Grammar

[KizmeRD]

Probably helps if you focus on the key word ‘auxiliary’ -  a general dictionary meaning is  ‘offering or providing help (functioning in a subsidiary capacity)’. In military terms auxiliaries are volunteer support personnel providing supplementary assistance to regular military forces in times of war.

The need for Auxiliary nursing support during WW1 was created by the unprecedented scale of the conflict and the very large number of casualties it produced..

Auxiliaries are usually somewhat outside of the mainstream military (often having their own hierarchy and organisational structure), and invariably they will have far less training than regulars (or reservists).

Auxiliary units can be integrated into a military structure (provided it is open to the idea), however one must always be aware of the limitations of working with auxiliaries too, as they clearly can’t be expected to do everything that a properly trained professional would be capable of.

A VAD would have have received several weeks of training prior to deployment (in first-aid and in home care), compared to several years of training needed to acquire a recognised nursing qualification.

MB

[seaJane]

On 06/05/2023 at 21:17, williywonker said:

The VAD's were organised by the Territorial Force but administered by the BRCS and Order of St John, so I assume they were technically part of the Army Nursing Service,

There were also VADs attached to Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service. If you need more detail let me know and I will point you in the right direction.

sJ

[KizmeRD]

Mal, if you want to learn more about the work of VAD’s during the early years of the Great War, then you would do well to read the following book…

’Britain’s civilian volunteers: authorised story of British Voluntary Aid Detachment work in the Great War’ by Thekla Bowser (1917)

https://archive.org/details/cu31924027870512/page/n7/mode/1up

MB

 

[williywonker]

Many thanks, seaJane....I will be in touch soon to take up your kind offer.

Also to KismeRD for the link...very useful and much appreciated.

Mal

Edited 11 May , 2023 by williywonker