Women ambulance drivers

[amanda134]

I am trying to find out about a Nurse/ambulance driver. I unfortunately don't have much info other that her name - Ruth Kathleen Day born 1885 Battersea,London.

Much appreciated,

Amanda

[Sue Light]

Hallo Amanda

The terms 'nurse' and 'ambulance driver' tended to be mutually exclusive - nurses (except perhaps a few loose cannons) didn't drive ambulances - where does your information come from? If it's family lore, what exactly do you know about Ruth Day and her wartime service? Could she have been a VAD ambulance driver (non-nursing)?

Sue

[dfaulder]

Hallo Amanda

The terms 'nurse' and 'ambulance driver' tended to be mutually exclusive - nurses (except perhaps a few loose cannons) didn't drive ambulances - where does your information come from? If it's family lore, what exactly do you know about Ruth Day and her wartime service? Could she have been a VAD ambulance driver (non-nursing)?

Sue

Or First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) who nursed and drove ambulances; although I think individuals tend to specialise, I suspect that drivers with the FANY would (1) be referred to generically as "nurses" and (2) had some basic nursing training.

David

[centurion]

I've read an account by a nurse (British) involved in ferrying wounded from trains to hospital (in France) and the care taken to avoid bumps, sharp turns etc. The drivers in this case were drawn from the nurses.

[Sue Light]

Or First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) who nursed and drove ambulances; although I think individuals tend to specialise, I suspect that drivers with the FANY would (1) be referred to generically as "nurses" and (2) had some basic nursing training.

I would disagree there - FANY members had no nursing training. They, like some VADs might have had First Aid training, and some had acquired skills, but they were not nurses. Many of them came into the 'loose cannon' category.

I've read an account by a nurse (British) involved in ferrying wounded from trains to hospital (in France) and the care taken to avoid bumps, sharp turns etc. The drivers in this case were drawn from the nurses.

I would be interested in the source of this. In France there were WAAC ambulance drivers; there were FANY drivers, and there were VAD drivers. These women might also have had some first aid training, and some possibly may have had some nursing experience in the past, but I have never come across an ambulance driver who was a trained nurse, and these drivers were not employed on any nursing duties.

Sue

[amanda134]

Thanks for the replies. I have only got the above info.

"The nurse, driving the ambulance story" was always linked to her in family conversations. As my family live in South Africa and Ruth's in England, she or her parents must have written to our family, but unfortunately none of her letters have survived.

I am sorry I am no help at all! But thanks for the info. It is very interesting.

Amanda

[dfaulder]

I am trying to find out about a Nurse/ambulance driver. >><<

>><< First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) who nursed and drove ambulances; although I think individuals tend to specialise, I suspect that drivers with the FANY would (1) be referred to generically as "nurses" and (2) had some basic nursing training.

I would disagree there - FANY members had no nursing training. They, like some VADs might have had First Aid training, and some had acquired skills, but they were not nurses. Many of them came into the 'loose cannon' category.

>><<

Sue,

Not withstanding this (and I believe in WW1 many would see First Aid type work as "nursing work" without the First Aider actually being a "Nurse" - I use the capital letter deliberately due to distingusih between those to whom the generic title might be applied and the "professionally qualified"), If I had a rumour in my family (as Amanda might have) about WW1 nurse/ambulance drivers, I would look at the FANY:

- The name (however mistakenly) implies "nursing"

- Perhaps a cutting found in a family trunk (such as below from British Journal of Nursing - "Honours to Nurses") would also fuel the rumour

(and my Great Aunt was an ambulance driver - not a "Nurse"!)

BW

David

[Sue Light]

If I were Amanda I would send an enquiry to the British Red Cross - if she was a VAD driver they could hold a service record for her:

British Red Cross Society personnel records

Sue

[michaeldr]

Bit of a long shot

but it may be worth ₤3.50 to it check out (?)

it's as close as I could find to the name given above

Catherine R. Day QMAAC

see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...Edoc_Id=6282806

good luck

Michael