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. 

Two years in Hong Kong and leave relief in Nepal 1977 – 1979 by Pat McKay

I was commissioned into the QARANC on 5 July 1976 and posted to Tidworth Military Hospital, Hants, some three weeks later. Lovely posting, but the hospital was due to close and consequently I was posted to RAF Wroughton until I left in October 1977 for Hong Kong.

I duly reported to RAF Brize Norton on the appointed day and boarded a VC10 for the flight to ‘pastures new’. It was my first experience of flying with the RAF and sitting facing rearwards – much better for you if the aircraft crashed!!!!

I was lucky enough to have a window seat and as the day turned to early evening the aircraft crossed the North African coast and there in the distance but perfectly visible was a very wide strip of ‘green’. It was in fact the Nile Delta and the fields irrigated on either side.

The first stop was somewhere in the Middle East but I am afraid I cannot remember where. As we disembarked, all passengers were given a stern warning not to board the ‘wrong’ aircraft when the flight was called. Apparently, a returning flight from Hong Kong en route to the UK had landed shorty before ours, and in the recent past a passenger had managed to board unnoticed and found to their consternation that they were now flying back to UK and not onward to Hong Kong.

Next stop was Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). We landed in the middle of the night and all the shop keepers in the airport terminal awoke from their various places of slumber and promptly opened their shops in the hope that we may buy something.

The flight arrived in Hong Kong the following morning and the two QA’s aboard were met by Jackie McLaren (now sadly no longer with us) I had met Jackie at Tidworth and followed her to RAF Wroughton and now I followed her to Hong Kong. She whisked us off to the BMH and showed us to our respective rooms with the most fantastic view across the harbour to Hong Kong Island. I had to pinch myself that I was really there. Jackie showed us around the Mess, where to pick up our post and where the dining room was located.

The following morning after a reasonable nights rest off we went to report to Matron (Anne Healy) and learn of our allocated wards. I was to work on Ward 5 ITU/Recovery and the other QA went to the Children’s Ward as she was Paediatric qualified.

The weather in Hong Kong in October is lovely, rather like a beautiful summer day here and at the weekend I joined a group of QA’s and spent the day lazing on the beach and enjoying the sea – I do confess to getting a little sunburned and consequently the skin peeled off my nose.

Life settled into a balance between work, leisure and exploring Hong Kong. After supper it was easy to wander off into one of the numerous night markets and enjoy browsing the stalls and making the odd purchase. Colleagues took you to the hairdresser – Francis and Bambi being where I spent my time in Hong Kong having my hair cut, the tailor, where any style, colour and shape could be accommodated, the linen shop and of course to the jewellery shop. A couple were permitted to visit the Mess and the name Peter Chai springs to mind. Ocean Terminal was also a favourite shopping experience and on one occasion the Canberra and the QE2 were moored on either side of the dock.

The rules concerning the ‘leave scheme’ were explained and my first trip to somewhere ‘exotic’ was to Penang Island – very beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable. I also visited Pattaya Beach in Thailand and upon arrival realized that the US 7th Fleet was on leave!!!! When the US Navy visited Hong Kong the BMH provided any , medical treatment required and it was not uncommon for the Shore Patrol to arrive and ‘collect’ some AWOL sailor and haul him back to the ship. When the Canadian Navy arrived, it was a little more civilized and out came the cocktail dresses off we went to the Captain’s cocktail party. Not quite so civilized was a Mess junk trip one weekend, when Rada Rawat’s sari draped across the rails to dry, was taken by a gust of wind and sank into the depths of Hong Kong harbour never to be seen again.

Transport in Hong Kong was pretty good with cheap fares on the buses that took you to most places including Hong Kong Island, Stanley Market and Aberdeen Harbour where the famous Jumbo Restaurant was moored. A must place to eat, especially if you like fresh sea food. A day trip on the outlying districts ferry to Lantau Island with a picnic lunch was a lovely way to spend a day off, and spending nights off on Stonecutters Island (not open to the public) was a pleasant and inexpensive way of ‘getting away’ from it all. A car was not really necessary but with three other QA’s we purchased a Triumph Herald soft top and named it AJ because of its letters on the registration plate. However, if we decided to take a trip into the countryside and climb Route Twisk, we always had to have at least two empty gin bottles full of water aboard to top up the dodgy radiator. On returning from a lovely Sunday afternoon trip one weekend, I drove down the whole of Nathan Road completely oblivious to the fact that only buses and public light vehicles were permitted!!!! However, my travelling companions entertained the crowds on the pavement by standing up and waving in a very regal manner from the sunroof!!! Quite illegal, but no one stopped us.

At the end of 1978 I was asked by Matron ( Margaret McDermott) if I would like to go to Nepal on leave relief. Needless to say it didn’t take long for me to say yes. Off I went with a midwife named Angela (cannot remember her surname) to Kai Tak airport and discovered that we would be aboard the first flight by Royal Nepal Airlines to fly out of Honk Kong to Kathmandu. There was the crew, pilot, co-pilot and an US engineer, me, Angela and 21,000 pounds of freight for company. What an experience eh?

Upon my return to Hong Kong some 2/3 months later, I asked Matron if I could work in the operating theatre – yes was the reply and I then spent the remainder of my QA career working in various Military Hospital Operating Theatres.

I thoroughly enjoyed the two years I spent in the Far East – never did a stroke of washing or ironing the whole time I was there. Such luxury never experienced again I am sorry to say. Finally learned to swim properly having signed up to adult swimming lessons at the USRC Club just down the road from the BMH, attended an RYA Elementary Sailing Course at Gordon Hard in the New Territories and enjoyed the friendship of other QA’s who were there to enjoy themselves too.

 

 

 

 

 

ALL AT SEA IN HONG KONG - By Judy Evans

I was posted to the British Military Hospital, Hong Kong in September 1976 as a midwife. To say that I was a reluctant midwife would be an understatement so when I was summonsed to Matron’s office during my nights off about six months after my arrival, I was surprised and a bit worried about what she wanted to say to me. In fact, she made my day as she asked me to go on detachment to HMS Tamar to work in the Families’ Medical Centre.

HMS Tamar was undergoing a huge redevelopment so the Medical Centre was temporarily housed in Victoria Barracks, Headquarters British Forces, just up the road from Tamar on Hong Kong Island. I was to go over to the barracks the next day to meet the other staff before packing up my room in the mess and moving across the harbour to my new home for the next six months.

The British Forces Medical and Dental Services on Hong Kong Island were largely the responsibility of the Royal Navy (RN) with civilian support. There were three or four medical officers who worked as GPs. The practice manager was a RN Chief Petty Officer with locally enlisted medical assistants to run the pharmacy and treatment room. Nursing support was provided by a Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS) sister, a Chinese sister and a QARANC officer. Next to the medical centre was the dental centre and a SSAFA health visitor completed the team.

The nursing staff’s role was to care for the wives of the servicemen, both Army and Navy living on Hong Kong Island and also the female service personnel posted to the Island. We also looked after UK civil servants. We held family planning and ante-natal clinics, vaccination clinics and worked in the treatment room as required. I was also told that a lot of the wives, being very young and away from their family network in the UK, needed support and just popped in for a chat and advice. This they did very regularly, and it was good to feel that we were making a difference and helping. Their husbands were often either at sea if they were in the RN or on exercise in the New Territories if they were in the Army.

 

I assumed that I would be living in single officers’ accommodation – the Wardroom in naval parlance but as there was none available for females, I was to share a hiring with the QARNNS sister and Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) officer who worked in HQBF. Transport would be provided to and from the Barracks as it was situated a few miles away, on the west side of the Island. The moment I saw it, I was blown away and recently saw that the one we actually lived in was on the market for the equivalent of £4m (2020 prices). There was a balcony with a view over to Lamma Island and facing west, the sunset each evening was amazing. We had an amah who came in five or six days a week to clean and do our laundry.

I was welcomed into the fold, made friends and enjoyed the busy social life of HMS Tamar.

There were regular events held in the Wardroom ranging from film nights to drinks parties and mess dinners and on Sundays, there were trips on a banyan boat - a naval launch, often to one of the outlying islands where we could swim and barbecue.

I was expecting to return to the BMH after six months but when I was asked to go for an interview with Matron, she told me that she wanted me to stay on for a further six months and in the end I stayed for eighteen months, until I came home in September 1978.

At that time there were no female officers or servicewomen serving on board ships, of which there were four patrol craft in Hong Kong. They were converted minesweepers with their main role being to search for illegal immigrants from China. We were allowed to go on board for family sea days and it was on one of these that I was transferred at speed from HMS Monkton to HMS Beachampton via jackstay – a jolly exciting experience!

On the last Sunday of my posting in Hong Kong, I went on the usual day out on the ‘banyan’. We went out to the west and on our return, at the entrance to the harbour, the banyan master asked if I’d like to probably be the first QARANC officer to take a RN vessel up the harbour and berth it at HMS Tamar. Of course I did, and so ended a wonderful tour but I was soon to have my comeuppance with a posting to DKMH, Catterick which was a bit of a shock after cosmopolitan Hong Kong.

Judy Evans

Note: It was during my time working with the Senior Service in 1977, that the QARNNS became fully affiliated to the RN and its personnel subject to the Naval Discipline Act. It wasn’t until 1995 that officers and ratings began to hold naval rank as opposed to QARNNS rank. That is why I have referred to my QARNNS colleague as ‘sister’ rather than ‘officer’.