HM The Queen's Silver Jubilee 1977 Memories by Marjorie Bandy, Dot Ritchie & Jan Westbury

In 1977 I, like so many QA’s was serving in Germany with, to use its correct title the British Army of the Rhine or BAOR. At that time there were 5 military hospitals in BAOR and I was working as a midwife in BMH Munster. The Armed Forces had considerably more personnel than today and each of the three services was to have a separate Jubilee Event. For the Army this was to be in Germany at the enormous training area at Sennalager on 7 July.

Logistically it was to a huge event and each Garrison had its own set of Mess tents to host personnel. I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the BMH reps along with my friend Maggie O’Sullivan [now Stephenson]. Not wanting to let the side down we had pressed our No 2s [the old grey job]and polished the shoes and lastly set the alarm for our very early start the next morning. The admin order was detailed and left us in no doubt that if we weren’t through the check point at Sennalager by 0900 hrs we wouldn’t be let in.

At that time, it was expected that any future conflict would be an armoured battle on the plains of Germany so most of the BAOR battalions were armoured or artillery. Seeing everyone in No2 dress, where many of these battalions were “vulgar fraction regiments,” [ for the uninitiated this means cavalry 15/19th 9/12th etc – you get the picture] some very fancy uniforms were on display. On this vast training area it was dry and dusty and our careful attention to uniforms was somewhat wasted. 

 With so many troops and armoured regiments the “parade ground” stretched back for a mile, and what an amazing sight it was. The parade RSM brought everyone both on and off the square to attention for the arrival of Her Majesty. It was an experience I will never forget. We took lots of photographs although at times it was difficult as officers needed to salute HM when she passed,  plus for artillery regiments the guns are their colours which also must be saluted along with the colours of the marching Regiments.

We were told that at the rehearsal it was realised that with such a deep parade, orders reached the troops at the back noticeably later than those at the front. Messy when it was for Her Majesty. The solution was a simple one, behind the centre stand for spectators was a windmill which everyone could see. A large black bin was hoisted to the top of its flagpole and the bin dropped every time the command salute was given, result everyone saluted at the same time.

That parade is something I will never forget, so many on parade, tanks dipping their gun barrel to salute The Queen, writing this I can still picture it in my mind.

By Lt Col (Rtd) Marjorie Bandy RRC

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I was stationed in BMH Dhekalia and was a Guide Guider. We had a camp in Episkopi for all the Armed Forces Guides in Cyprus over the Silver Jubilee period. In the top photo is Heather Dunscombe, who was the last Association secretary. Her mother was a Guider with me, she is far left, Heather is 3rd in on the left and I am far right. 

                 Major (Rtd) Dot Ritchie

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Not everyone in the Armed Forces was awarded a Silver Jubilee Medal, as this was allocated on a quota basis and not on eligibility criteria.  Only 9,000 medals were allocated to the Armed Forces, thought to be due to the economic crisis at the time.  Units of over 500 personnel received 6 medals and under 500 received only 2.  This meant that neither Marjorie or Dot received the award.  

When it came to the Golden Jubilee that changed and eligibility criteria were used.  All regular serving personnel with five years calendar service (1,826) and reserve service personnel who had completed five annual bounty earning training years (135 days) received the medal.  Dot very proudly had her photograph taken for her Father, wearing her Golden Jubilee medal.

By Capt (Rtd) Jan Westbury 

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A Life in the Armed Forces (QARANC and QARNNS) by Wendy H. Jones

 

As Today is Armed Forces Day, I would like to start by saluting all those in the Armed Forces - Past and Present - for your service. Of course as this is a QARANC blog a particular shoutout to all those in the QARANC. I also thought it would be an ideal opportunity to reminisce about my time in the services. 

I beg your indulgence as I start by talking about my six years in the QARNNS as a student nurse and a staff nurse. In May 1979 I was posted to RNH Haslar in Gosport to undertake my student nurse training and thus started a career that would also twenty-three years. I  had a blast in the Navy. During my time I managed to go up in helicopter, was dropped off in the middle of a field, and was then winched up into the helicopter again. What a blast. Whilst I served my six years at Haslar, I did manage to do ten weeks at RAF Wegberg doing both the midwifery and community parts of my training. I went into Holland each day as we visited families in married quarters which were in The Netherlands rather than Germany. Yet again, a helicopter featured as we were taken up in an RAF helicopter and, as it was for pilot training, I was allowed to pilot it. What an experience. MY only sea time was one day at sea on HMS Invincible where I ran a creche for Families Day. Oh, and I go to launch a ship - HMS Glasgow. I kid you not.

I left the RN after six years, did a course in civvy street, and then joined the QARANC with a stint at the Queen Alexandra's Training Centre in Aldershot before being posted to Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital Woolwich. During this time I was on standby for 22 Field Hospital and went on Exercise Purple Warrior. This was a Tri-Service operation, hence the purple. It was a mixture of all three colours - navy, free, and blue. This took place in November. In Scotland. In the rain. I will leave the rest to your imagination. It also involved eight days on a cruise ship which was a fabulous experience. And you can see, various modes of transport played a large part in my nursing life. In fact, I got my third trip in a helicopter whilst on exercise with 22 Field. This time an Army helicopter used for transporting casualties. I can tell you, those pods they transport casualties in are an experience - one I am glad I had. From Woolwich I was seconded to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital to do my children's nursing and from there to Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot. Eight months later I found myself in Hong Kong which had to be one of my favourite places to live. Vibrant and exhilarating it's like no other place on earth. Working on the children's ward, it was a privilege to look after both Nepalese and Chinese children and to meet their families. Ambulances figured quite a bit as we would transfer seriously ill children to ITU in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, a civilian Chinese hospital. Whilst in Hong Kong I took the opportunity to learn Nepalese and Chinese all of which I have now forgotten. Oh, and did I mention, I got to go up in a helicopter. The father of one of the children on the ward was Army Air Corps and ran trips for the staff to see Hong Kong from the air. Awesome.

From Hong Kong I went to BMH Iserlohn in Germany. No helicopters this time but I did have to serve on a courts martial. That was a strange experience but it was part of my remit as an officer. The end of my posting in Germany found me back in Aldershot. For eight weeks. Yes, you've got that right, eight weeks. Then I, on a newly minted special regular commission, found myself in Jerusalem on loan to the St. John of Jerusalem organisation. I loved every minute of that. From Jerusalem I went to Duchess of Kent Military Hospital in Catteritck, starting on the Children's ward and ending up as the In Service Training Officer. I spent six months at Bovington Camp as Matron of the medical centre, then back to my role as ISTO in Catterick before moving into the Royal Defence Medical College in Gosport. I was right back where I started in the School of Nursing but this time tri-service and partnering with Portsmouth University. During my time I was sent to both Cyprus and Gibraltar to carry out training, went back to Israel for eight weeks to update my ophthalmic and paediatric certificates, and was given time to do charity work in Moldova for two weeks. I also went to the Brecon Beacons to do some training. That was an experience and I may write a full post about it in the future. A posting to Birmingham saw me setting up the Military Pre-Registration Nurse Education at the University of Central England (now Birmingham City University) and brought my career to a close. 

I loved every minute of my time in the services. It was twenty-three years of fun, friendship and hard work, and I don't regret a minute of it. The people I met, and the places I went, will stay with me forever. What about you, where were you posted? I would love to know. 

About the author 

Wendy H. Jones served as a Nursing Officer in the QARANC between 1987 and 2004 leaving with the rank of Major. She never went on an operational tour but undertook many exercises as well as serving in numerous units in both the UK and overseas. Hong Kong and Jerusalem had to be two of the highlights. Moving into nurse education, she was proud to have served as Tri-Service Head of Pre-Registration Nurse Education. This brought her full circle to where she started as a student nurse in the QARNNS. She is now an author and lives in Scotland. 

BRITISH ARMY OF THE RHINE - MY PART IN DRAWDOWN by Judy Evans

In December 1991 I was at QEMH, Woolwich, getting to grips with my newish job as Assistant Deputy Matron, having been posted there in June after almost four years in Germany, preparing for and then moving, following closure of BMH Munster, to a refurbished BMH Iserlohn. There were, at that time, three other military hospitals in Germany - Rinteln, Hannover and Berlin as well as the RAF Hospital at Wegberg.

The phone rang and it was Brigadier Hilary Dixon-Nuttall, Director Army Nursing Services ‘asking’ me to go back to Germany in March or April 1992, only a few months hence. “I’ve only been back from Germany for six months after four years there”, I replied, “If I go, please could it be for just a year?”

Fortunately, she agreed.

She then went into detail about my role. BMH Hannover would close on 30 June 1992.

Closure meant that patients who would have been treated there would have to travel over an hour to BMH Rinteln. To ease this, it was decided that my role would be to set up a Forward Outpatients Department (FOPD) for certain specialities at Hohne, a large garrison north of Hannover whereby consultants would travel from Rinteln to hold outpatient clinics. Patients would also come from other garrisons nearby, such as Fallingbostel and Celle. In addition I was to be project officer for a new Medical Reception Station (MRS) and Medical Provisioning Point (MPP) there. Patients who needed admission would go to Rinteln or make more use of beds in the expanded MRS. The use of German hospitals was at an early stage of discussion.

Sometime in January 1992, I flew out for the day to Rheindahlen from RAF Hendon in a small plane, similar to those used by the Royal Family, for a series of briefings. No one really knew much about anything and it was clear that I’d be flying by my pants.

I was posted to Hohne on 1 April 1992, perhaps an auspicious date. The MRS included about 10 beds for the minor sick and a group practice manned by military and civilian doctors and civilian nurses and a physiotherapist.

Some of the groundwork had been done - well, identifying the temporary locations of the FOPD and MPP and the new location of the MRS.

The former would be in Glyn Hughes Barracks occupied by 1 Armoured Field Ambulance which was a short drive from the main garrison but at least it was a medical unit, the latter would be located in what was being used as an annex for the Station Officers Mess but which I was sure would be suitable.

So, my job began. Setting up the FOPD was relatively straightforward. The building in the barracks was more than adequate, currently only being used by the garrison physiotherapist. It would be staffed by a civilian nurse who was already in post in the MRS, assisted by QARANC healthcare assistants (HCAs) who would shortly be posted in. Minor works such as putting in telephone points were required. Documentation was ordered as well as equipment such as scales, sphygmomanometers and so on, chairs, couches and tables.

The MPP would be staffed by a RAMC medical supply technician who would be posted in nearer the time of opening but I had to ensure it was ready as far as its security was concerned.

Talks began with the firm who would be doing the job of refurbishing the building, which was to become the MRS, FOPD and MPP. Work would take approximately eight months but it became clear that it would not be starting for a while so somehow it was unlikely I would see the end result.

I was also posted to Hohne as Matron of the MRS, which meant that I would support the civilian nursing staff who had previously felt a little neglected. We started in service training sessions and I became well known as the nurse phlebotomist as somehow they thought I had the knack of taking blood so I made sure that I was present for antenatal clinics! The HCAs settled in well and enjoyed working in a smaller unit than they were used to. We included them in some of the in service training which they appreciated. They worked in the group practice as well as the ward which had about 10 beds on both day and night duty.

I lived in the Station Officers Mess which was great fun. It had been mooted that I should have a flat which was available in the Field Ambulance barracks. I am so pleased I didn’t as I’d have felt very lonely. Of course Hohne is well known for being close to the former concentration camp of Bergen so it was a very poignant place to be. The countryside around was beautiful. Very flat, but great for walks and exploring.

The day the medical equipment arrived at the MPP for the first time, I was elsewhere but I received a phone call from the supply technician to say the unit’s fork lift truck was off the road and it was really required to off load all the kit which had arrived. What to do? How would a QA officer find a forklift truck? Luckily I’d made contact with the Station Staff Officer for a number of issues and he was a very helpful Retired Officer. Less than an hour later, a forklift truck trundled up the road to Glyn Hughes barracks from the main garrison. I got a good deal of satisfaction from that, in addition to the realisation that the spirit of goodwill and cooperation lived on.

I came home in March 1993 after a year in post. I enjoyed it enormously. A lot of people who I met had never had contact with QAs before, including the Brigade Commander, but I’d like to think that they were surprised that we can turn our hands to anything!

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