Nurses

[sunflower]

Anyone got any ideas how many nurses served altogether during the Great War?

Also I am looking for info on a Second World War forum..is there one?

I am researching two nurses who died when being evacuated on the S.S. Kuala in Feb 1942 when Singapore was overun by the Japenese. One went down with the ship and one made it ashore.

Would really appreciate any help with either request.

Many thanks,

sunflower

[Sue Light]

Anyone got any ideas how many nurses served altogether during the Great War?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess it depends on how you define a 'nurse' - and then you can just think of a number, double it, halve it, turn it upside down...

I have read [somewhere.. ] that 130,000 British women were involved in some sort of 'nursing' of soldiers in the UK and abroad, but I think that must be based on a rather broad interpretation of 'nurse.' But as there was no regulation of nurses at that time, no national standards or examinations, anyone could call themselves 'nurse' and don a uniform.

There were about 17,000 trained nurses working as part of the British military nursing services [QAIMNS and TFNS] at some time during the war, and then endless trained civilian nurses who would have had soldiers passing through their hospitals. That probably takes you up to 40-45,000. And then all the untrained, partly trained, VADs etc. But it's all guesswork

And the WW2 Forum is here:

WW2 Talk

Sue

[sunflower]

Many thanks for your help Sue.

The 130,000 figure sounds about right to me given that it was all so unregulated.

Appreciate the figure also for the QAIMNS and TFNS.

thanks too for the World War Two site, will get on it right away...

sunflower

[Guest gunnermatter]

It won't answer your question, but you may be interested to know that a book "Nightingales in the Mud" contains an honour roll of all nurses serving with the 1st AIF in WW1

[aconnolly]

Sunflower

In August 1914, the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nusring Service had a total of 463 trained members and the T/F Nursing Service had 2783.

On 1 November 1918 QAIMNS had 7710 women trained in post and 5407 partially trained or untrained in post. Of the partially or untrained group, 2736 were employed in the UK and the rest overseas. Of the trained, 3337 were UK based, 2436 in France and the rest all over the place including Hospital Ships, Salonika, Malta etc.

1 Novemebr 1918 the TFNS had 5059 trained, 3095 of whom in UK and 1111 in France. The TF also had 5490 partially or untrained of whom 3957 were employed in UK and 1515 overseas.

Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) grew from 70,243 on 1 August 1914 to 122,766 by 1 April 1920 - demonstrating the 11th of November did not end the suffering! VAD agencies consisted of Red Cross societies, St John's ambulance Brigades, and County Associations. Of all those people classified as VADs, 39909 were men.

New Zealand officially had 550 nursing members of the NZEF, whilst the Australian Army Nursing Service had 2861 enlistments of whom 2139 embarked from Australia. There were additional women from both NZ and Australia who served in the QAIMNS and the like. Afraid I do not have figures for other countries. Data is all from Official records.

Regards

Andrew

[Sue Light]

I am researching two nurses who died when being evacuated on the S.S. Kuala in Feb 1942 when Singapore was overun by the Japenese. One went down with the ship and one made it ashore.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sunflower

This bit's been bugging me - I couldn't place it for a while.

Were the two nurses Brenda Wells and Gwen Dowling? There is quite an in depth account of the last journey of the Kuala, and how the women survived afterwards, in the book:

The Will to Live - The Story of Dame Margot Turner D.B.E., R.R.C

Sir John Smyth

[Cassell, 1970]

Margot Turner was also on the Kuala, and later became the Matron-in-Chief of the QARANC. You might already have read it, but lots of information about the event it you haven't.

Sue

[sunflower]

Thanks Sue and Andrew for your wonderful wealth of knowledge.

The two women I am researching are nurses Agnes Moore Sim and Grace Logan, both sailed on the SS Kuala. Agnes went down with the ship and Sister Grace Logan managed to get ashore but died of her injuries the same day and is buried in Sumatra.

As far as I can gather 500 were on board about half women and children. 150 survived the sinking and made it to land where they were picked up. Unfortunately, the ship that picked them up was also bombed and sank. From the info I have managed to get, I am told only three survived from the SS Kuala in total.

I will try and get the book as it looks a very interesting read.

Thanks Andrew for your info on the numbers who served, very much appreciated.

sunflower