QARANC - Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps

Information about the QARANC The Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps




The Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps has served the nursing and medical needs of the British army, their allies, prisoners of war and local civilians since 1854. Though they were then known as the Army Nursing Service and then the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service before becoming QA's and forming the corps of QARANC in 1949. Read more about the history of the QA's.




In modern times personnel serve in NHS hospitals alongside civilian staff and at Ministry of Defence Hospital Units. QA's work alongside the army, navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) in field hospitals alongside the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and with units and battalions with a variety of regiments and corps in the field and in Medical Units at camps throughout the UK and the world. As an example they mobilised in the Field Hospital in Iraq and Afghanistan and the newly created Close Support Hospital (CSH) and Small Hospital Unit (SHU) see QAs near what would have traditionally been called the Front Line providing life saving nursing support. The work of the Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) Helmand Territory Southern Afghanistan featured in the TV programme Doctors and Nurses at War.



In the last two centuries a QA may have served in one of the many military hospitals within the UK and overseas in locations like Germany and Cyprus. The oldest surviving military hospital is the Royal Herbert which was redeveloped into luxury apartments and still retains many features of the army hospital. Other former military hospitals have been converted into NHS facilities such as the QEMH Woolwich whilst many remain firmly fixed in the memories of former and serving QA's like the CMH Aldershot.


Though many of the military hospitals are now closed the tradition and customs lives on in serving members and much of the historical artefacts are retained and on display at the Museum of Military Medicine and over the years many traditions have been retained such as the QA Motto, the QA and AMS Prayer and the Cap Badge. These have been joined by modern ceremonies such as the Army Medical Services Christmas Carol Service.


Since 1902, when the QAIMNS were formed, there have been notable members of the QAs and this continues into the modern day. This includes Dame Maud McCarthy who gave outstanding service during the Boer War and the First World War and Dame Margot Turner who saw active service in World War Two, survived being ship wrecked before being taken Prisoner by the Japanese Army . She survived and had an illustrious nursing and military career and became a Colonel Commandant of the QAs.

Five years later the QAs saw war service during the Korean War.





Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.






My PTSD assistance dog, Lynne, and I have written a book about how she helps me with my military Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression. I talk about my time in the QAs and the coping strategies I now use to be in my best health.

Along the way, I have had help from various military charities, such as Help for Heroes and The Not Forgotten Association and royalties from this book will go to them and other charities like Bravehound, who paired me with my four-legged best friend.

I talk openly about the death of my son by suicide and the help I got from psychotherapy and counselling and grief charities like The Compassionate Friends.

The author, Damien Lewis, said of Lynne:

"A powerful account of what one dog means to one man on his road to recovery. Both heart-warming and life-affirming. Bravo Chris and Lynne. Bravo Bravehound."

Download.

Buy the Paperback.



This beautiful QARANC Poppy Pin Badge is available from the Royal British Legion Poppy Shop.




For those searching military records, for information on a former nurse of the QAIMNS, QARANC, Royal Red Cross, VAD and other nursing organisations or other military Corps and Regiments, please try Genes Reunited where you can search for ancestors from military records, census, birth, marriages and death certificates as well as over 673 million family trees. At GenesReunited it is free to build your family tree online and is one of the quickest and easiest ways to discover your family history and accessing army service records.

More Information.




Another genealogy website which gives you access to military records and allows you to build a family tree is Find My Past which has a free trial.






The QA Association has been providing support and friendship to QAs past and present for over 60 years throughout the world. Through re-unions and events members come together to share memories and make new friends and meet up with old comrades. The QA Association maintains the history of the Corps and keeps records of achievements as well as publishing the twice yearly Corps magazine The Gazette. Read More.



QARANC nurses have and still continue to serve their country worldwide. This takes them throughout the UK and in places such as Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belize, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, The Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.


Anywhere the army is deployed then you are sure to find the QARANC. For this reason British Army nurses are highly trained in the latest military and nursing techniques and enjoy a dual role in the army. They are rewarded financially, socially and can gain many nursing qualifications. Read more on the joining the QARANC page.


In 2007 a QA Memorial was built at the newly opened National Memorial Arboretum which commemorates the service personnel killed since the Second World War.





Former Royal Air Force Regiment Gunner Jason Harper witnesses a foreign jet fly over his Aberdeenshire home. It is spilling a strange yellow smoke. Minutes later, his wife, Pippa, telephones him, shouting that she needs him. They then get cut off. He sets straight out, unprepared for the nightmare that unfolds during his journey. Everyone seems to want to kill him.

Along the way, he pairs up with fellow survivor Imogen. But she enjoys killing the living dead far too much. Will she kill Jason in her blood thirst? Or will she hinder his journey through this zombie filled dystopian landscape to find his pregnant wife?

The Fence is the first in this series of post-apocalyptic military survival thrillers from the torturous mind of former British army nurse, now horror and science fiction novel writer, C.G. Buswell.

Download Now.

Buy the Paperback.


If you would like to contribute to this page, suggest changes or inclusions to this website or would like to send me a photograph then please e-mail me.










Free Book.
The death of the Brotherhood will be avenged.
RAF gunner Jason Harper and a team of Special Air Service operators are enraged after the death of their brothers by a terrorist drone strike. They fly into south-eastern Yemen on a Black-op mission to gather intelligence and avenge the death of their comrades.
Can they infiltrate the Al-Queda insurgents' camp, stay undetected, and call down their own drone missile strike and get home safely?
Will they all survive to fight another day?
Operation Wrath is a free, fast-paced adventure prequel to the non-stop action The Fence series by military veteran author C.G. Buswell.
Download for free on any device and read today.





This website is not affiliated or endorsed by The Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) or the Ministry of Defence.