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Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) was formed during the First World War and continued to provice nursing care during the Second World War. Between 1939 and 1945 members of the QAIMNS served throughout the world, including; Britain, Africa, Burma, China, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Malaya, Malta, Normandy, Palastine and Singapore.
At the start of World War Two members of the QAIMNS along with VAD nurses were mobilised to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). With French troops were holding the German army at the Maginot line, their services were not required by the military and they were occupied treating the French local civilians and holding clinics, enjoying a good social life enjoying French culture and playing sport. Because there was little action in the first year the time was called The Phoney War or the Bore War. As the German Army advanced through Holland, Belgium and France in May 1940 the nurses withdrew with the British troops. The retreat was very swift equipment and field hospitals were destroyed by the QA with assistance from the Royal Engineers rather than leaving valuable medical equipment for the enemy. Many QAs made their way to Dunkirk to await evacuation and none were left behind in France.
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On our 12th Anniversary we would like to thank all those who have contributed to this project.
Research your own Family History.
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June 2011 - Please note we currently have a large backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site.
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We are aware of the issue with missing images, this is due to the redesign of the website, images will reappear as soon as the new version of the page is completed, thank you for your patience.
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If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes.
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List of those who served with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service during The Second World War
Select a story link or scoll down to browse those stories hosted on this website
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Lt. Amy Evalyn Keats Hospital Ship Karoa My mother joined the QA's [Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, now known as the QARANC ] and arrived in India 21st March 1944.
After a time serving in on-shore hospitals she joined the Hospital Ship "Karoa" and participated in the evacuation of wounded soldiers from the Burma Campaigns. The "Karoa" would sail between Madras, Chittagong and Calcutta collecting the wounded out of Chittagong. She remembers spotting 2 periscopes of submarines in the Bay of Bengal but they never fired on the "Karoa" so perhaps it was the Allies or the enemy respecting the Geneva convention.
She made good friends of two other Sisters on board the "Karoa"and each had charge of a level of the Ship. There were four levels: Officers on top deck; British Other Ranks on the next level down; Indian soldiers on the next level; West Africans on the next level and East Africans on the lowest level. My mother was Sister-in-charge of the Officers' Ward; her friend Jane, Sister-in-charge of the Indian Ward and Joyce, Sister-in-charge of the West African ward.
They each remember the visit of Lord Louis Mountbatten and would pass the message on to each other to be ready as he descended to inspect the Wards!
These three Sisters kept up a friendship all their lives. My mother married a British Officer at the end of the War and went to Australia. Joyce returned to Suffolk, England and Jane married and went to live in Canada. The three corresponded over all the years.
Eventually Joyce came out to Australia to visit her son who was married and based in Sydney. She was intending to visit her WW2 friend Amy in Melbourne but unfortunately my mother died only a few days before they ever re-connected.
Joyce met my father and asked if she could have something of my mother's, an ashtray in the form of a brass shoe. The story went that she and my mother had bought one each in a bazaar in India and had pledged to meet on the steps of St Paul's cathedral after the War with their brass shoes! Chance had dictated otherwise and so the story closes here.
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Nurse Mary Alice "Mae" Loughran My aunt, Mary Alice Loughran, left Northern Ireland between 1936 and 1939 and is suspected of going to help in the Spanish civil war. We know she was in St James Hospital and Whipps cross hospital in London in the early fortees. She lived or worked in Walthamstow. Mary Alice went England with her sister Margaret Loughran.
I found a letter from aunt Mary Alice recently which she wrote during Hitler's advance in Europe and she said she was considering marriage to a Doctor in her hospital, but equally fancied a RAF man in a military hospital she was being seconded to. The family say a telegram came from the war office to say she was missing, presumed dead. This was after she wrote to say she was returning to Carricklane house, Armagh. But she never turned up.
In the eightees I found what looked like an older photo behind an old press and took them to NI Forensic dept. I got a call to say they thought they had info but before I got there the dept was blown up by the IRA. Later an army officer rang to say he had info that she may have been in wrac and to make contact. But the details were lost in vandalism in house. The search is on again now and we have a search firm looking for records.
All her siblings died this year except my mum who is 86 years and we would like to draw closure. The Red Cross 15 yrs ago said they had no record of my aunt and the Salvation army drew a blank. I have one photo of her in uniform with a broad white head dress and small cross and trailing v shaped head dress and white dress and red cross. blue/grey shirt. It would be so great to get details of her resting place or any other next of kin.
It was always thought she died in the blitz or on a boat to Belfast. I hope there is someone somewhere who has a memory of her. Her disapperance was a heart break and has blighted my life also as I can find no closure to my aunt's whereabouts. |
British Women's Uniforms in Colour Photographs (World War 2) Martin Brayley & Richard Ingham
This reference book contains the uniforms of the women's services during World War II. Nearly 200 colour photographs of rare, original uniforms from private collections are featured with detailed explanatory text. This really is an extraordinarily good book if you're looking for details of women's uniforms from the WWII period. Every page has a large, clear photograph of a uniform (worn by a modern model, but with 40s styling), plus detail shots of shoes, insignia, berets and so on.More information on:
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The 1940s Look: Recreating the Fashions, Hairstyles and Make-up of the Second World War Mike Brown
"The 1940s Look" tells you everything you need to know about the fashions of wartime Britain and the impact that rationing, the Utility scheme, changing tastes and the demands of everyday life had on the styles people wore. People had to 'Make Do and Mend' - with varying degrees of ingenuity and success. Hair styles, glasses, jewellery, and tattoos were essential in creating your own fashion statement. Women's magazines advised readers on the difficulties of dressing growing children, offered instructions for making clothes and accessories, and hosted debate over whether by dressing up, women were helping or hindering the war effort. Thoroughly researched and lavishly illustrated, "The 1940s Look" tells you how civilian men, women and children dressed - and why they looked the way they did during the Second World War. It draws on contemporary sources including government advice, periodicals and books, and benefits from an entertaining narrative by author Mike Brown.More information on:
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Wartime: Britain 1939-1945 Dr Juliet Gardiner
Juliet Gardiner's 'Wartime' provides a marvellously rich, and often entertaining, recreation of life on the Home Front, 1939-45, drawing on an enormous range of oral testimony and memoir.More information on:
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Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area?
If so please let us know.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
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British Women's Uniforms in Colour Photographs (World War 2)
The 1940s Look: Recreating the Fashions, Hairstyles and Make-up of the Second World War 
Wartime: Britain 1939-1945
