When I retired from the QAs in 1996 after a twenty-year career, which had been cut short by the changes in the structure of the armed forces, I never in my wildest dream thought that I’d return in a very different role, albeit as a civilian.
I had kept abreast of the Corps as a trustee of the QA Association, in the days when you put your name forward and were voted in by members after an election. Diana Wilson was the General Secretary at the time but indicated that she intended retiring in 2003 after seven years in post. I decided that I would like to apply to take over from her and after thinking I knew what the appointment entailed, I applied, was interviewed and was successful. My title would be Regimental Secretary QARANC and General Secretary of the QARANC Association.
The four Regimental Headquarters of the AMS were being reorganised and although they remained sovereign, shared support staff, but I was unable to comprehend how diverse my role would be including General Secretary of the Association, Secretary of the Headquarter Officers’ Mess, Secretary of the Dress Committee and ‘Lady-in-Waiting’ to the Colonel Commandant.
When I came into post the Corps was about to change its ward uniform from the traditional dresses and white cap for women to tunic and trousers for both men and women. There was a lot to do to ensure we were on target to change on the date decided.
Judy Evans
I served in the QARANC from 1976-96, first as a Midwife, then a Theatre Sister. I also had postings as Instructor for the Student Officer Basic Course at the QATC from 1984-6, Theatre Sister and Matron in the Falkland Islands
When I came into post the Corps was about to change its ward uniform from the traditional dresses and white cap for women to tunic and trousers for both men and women. There was a lot to do to ensure we were on target to change on the date decided.
As Secretary of the Headquarter Officers’ Mess, I had to organise Regimental Dinners and the annual Corps Cocktail Party which was held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Luckily one of the Regimental Headquarters’ administrative assistants did a lot in coordinating the guest lists and sending out invitations but it needed close attention to detail.
The role of the Colonel Commandant is to support the Director Army Nursing Services and has a responsibility for the esprit de corps of the QARANC and the morale of its Officers and Servicemen and women. Colonel Iona Leith-Macgregor had been in post for a while and was enthusiastic, enjoying meeting members of the Corps on her official visits. I had to ensure her programme was what she wanted, book all her tickets and, on occasions, accompany her which was a chance for me to see what was going on.
In 2002 HRH The Princess Margaret, our Colonel-in-Chief passed away and the Corps had been advised, by Buckingham Palace, that it was unlikely that another would be appointed in the short term. However, in July 2003, we received notice that HRH The Countess of Wessex would become our new Colonel-in-Chief. A telephone call from her Private Secretary, a retired brigadier, made it clear that my office would be responsible for coordinating our relationship with her staff who included an assistant Private Secretary and administrative assistants. The Colonel Commandant, DANS and I visited, and we discussed how her role could develop and we established an excellent working relationship, and she gave a generous amount of time getting to know us.
Early in 2003, many QAs were deployed to Iraq and although I was not directly involved, as time went on it became clear that Regimental Headquarters would be involved with supporting them. Fortunately, I did not have to organise the repatriation of any casualties as the RAMC Regimental Secretary sadly did. Not long afterwards, we entered Afghanistan.
I saw my major role as being General Secretary of the QA Association. It was a joy getting to know our veterans, chatting to them on the phone or visiting branches. Letters of thanks for gifts which they had been sent for their birthdays or Christmas were wonderful to receive. I realised that the senior officers who had scared me when I was a junior officer had become quite approachable! Sadly, one of my roles was to send flowers on behalf of the Association to funerals – always red flowers and grey foliage such as eucalyptus.
We began to support serving personnel more, contributing to adventure training and sports equipment, thus making the Association more relevant to them.
The Gazette which is published twice a year is an important part of the Association and fortunately I had two excellent editors in Alison Spires and later Dee McElligott.
For all Associations in the Army, benevolence and the support of its retired members is a prime function. Working with SSAFA, the Royal British Legion and other service charities, we are able to make grants to those who have fallen on hard times or who needed some help for children. Small grants can make all the difference although sometimes larger or regular sums are required which the trustees discuss and agree or otherwise. Sometimes more information is required which SSAFA or the Royal British Legion might provide.
I could go on. There were other jobs to do such as maintaining our corps history, liaising with the Director of the Museum of Military Medicine, as it’s now called. The march past of veterans at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday was one highlight of the year but there were many highlights in my seven years. 2007 saw the 60th anniversary of the Association which we celebrated with a garden party in the grounds of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the presence of the Colonel-in-Chief. We also organised visits to South Africa and Singapore and Malaysia, where several retired QAs could revisit old haunts.
Without doubt I look back at my appointment with great pride. It was a pleasure working with all the DANS and Colonels Commandant who were in post at the same time as I was. Sadly, the administrative support in the reorganised AMS Regimental Headquarters had been gradually eroded and I felt I’d become a one-man band. It was time to retire but what an appointment – perhaps the best in the Corps!
The role of the Colonel Commandant is to support the Director Army Nursing Services and has a responsibility for the esprit de corps of the QARANC and the morale of its Officers and Servicemen and women. Colonel Iona Leith-Macgregor had been in post for a while and was enthusiastic, enjoying meeting members of the Corps on her official visits. I had to ensure her programme was what she wanted, book all her tickets and, on occasions, accompany her which was a chance for me to see what was going on.
In 2002 HRH The Princess Margaret, our Colonel-in-Chief passed away and the Corps had been advised, by Buckingham Palace, that it was unlikely that another would be appointed in the short term. However, in July 2003, we received notice that HRH The Countess of Wessex would become our new Colonel-in-Chief. A telephone call from her Private Secretary, a retired brigadier, made it clear that my office would be responsible for coordinating our relationship with her staff who included an assistant Private Secretary and administrative assistants. The Colonel Commandant, DANS and I visited, and we discussed how her role could develop and we established an excellent working relationship, and she gave a generous amount of time getting to know us.
Early in 2003, many QAs were deployed to Iraq and although I was not directly involved, as time went on it became clear that Regimental Headquarters would be involved with supporting them. Fortunately, I did not have to organise the repatriation of any casualties as the RAMC Regimental Secretary sadly did. Not long afterwards, we entered Afghanistan.
I saw my major role as being General Secretary of the QA Association. It was a joy getting to know our veterans, chatting to them on the phone or visiting branches. Letters of thanks for gifts which they had been sent for their birthdays or Christmas were wonderful to receive. I realised that the senior officers who had scared me when I was a junior officer had become quite approachable! Sadly, one of my roles was to send flowers on behalf of the Association to funerals – always red flowers and grey foliage such as eucalyptus.
We began to support serving personnel more, contributing to adventure training and sports equipment, thus making the Association more relevant to them.
The Gazette which is published twice a year is an important part of the Association and fortunately I had two excellent editors in Alison Spires and later Dee McElligott.
For all Associations in the Army, benevolence and the support of its retired members is a prime function. Working with SSAFA, the Royal British Legion and other service charities, we are able to make grants to those who have fallen on hard times or who needed some help for children. Small grants can make all the difference although sometimes larger or regular sums are required which the trustees discuss and agree or otherwise. Sometimes more information is required which SSAFA or the Royal British Legion might provide.
I could go on. There were other jobs to do such as maintaining our corps history, liaising with the Director of the Museum of Military Medicine, as it’s now called. The march past of veterans at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday was one highlight of the year but there were many highlights in my seven years. 2007 saw the 60th anniversary of the Association which we celebrated with a garden party in the grounds of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the presence of the Colonel-in-Chief. We also organised visits to South Africa and Singapore and Malaysia, where several retired QAs could revisit old haunts.
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| Visit to South Africa |
Without doubt I look back at my appointment with great pride. It was a pleasure working with all the DANS and Colonels Commandant who were in post at the same time as I was. Sadly, the administrative support in the reorganised AMS Regimental Headquarters had been gradually eroded and I felt I’d become a one-man band. It was time to retire but what an appointment – perhaps the best in the Corps!
Judy Evans
I served in the QARANC from 1976-96, first as a Midwife, then a Theatre Sister. I also had postings as Instructor for the Student Officer Basic Course at the QATC from 1984-6, Theatre Sister and Matron in the Falkland Islands
My goodness, what a varied and busy time you had. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting.
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