QAs Serving on a Submarine! By Merrill Bate

Defence Costs Study 15, led to the closure of all but one military hospital and the creation of agencies to manage secondary and dental care, and medical training. The Army Medical Services Schools of Nursing was to be no more, but I and my colleagues were determined that the high standards and quality of the pre- and post-registration nurse training we had provided over many decades would be carried on by the Tri-Service School of Healthcare Studies. 

So, it was that with a heavy heart that on 29th March 1996 I closed the door to the School of Nursing at the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot and headed off with my colleagues to HMS Dolphin. ‘Dolphin’ was the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service and location of the Submarine School and from 1996 to 1999 hosted the Defence Medical Training Organisation, the agency which was to manage all healthcare education. 

Along with QARNNS and PMRAFNS nurse teachers we had made many trips to prepare for our arrival at Dolphin. I recall in a conversation about office equipment saying that we would need ‘9’ lines in order to be able to make phone calls to civilian numbers. Imagine my surprise on walking into our office to find 9 telephones on my desk! What I hadn’t realised was that in the Navy they dialled ‘0’ to get an outside line, in the Army we dialled ‘9’!

Terminology was something we had to get used to, e.g. a call to 'clear the lower decks' means everyone was to be addressed by a senior officer while the 'upper deck' referred to officers only. The call was announced by a 'pipe' that could be heard everywhere at Dolphin.

On my first day at Dolphin, I arrived at 0730 and after clearing security I noticed other cars had stopped by the side of the road, there was no obvious reason why, but something told me it would be a good idea to stop my car as well. I am glad I did because what was about to happen was 'colours'; everyone is expected to face the mast while the white ensign is raised and if driving a car, you stop! Only when pipe sounds can you drive on. Phew, I had avoided making a faux pas on my first day! 

This picture shows where the Nurse Teachers were located before we moved to our permanent building. Our offices were surrounded by water and provided the best view of the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. The office I shared with QARNNS and PMRAFNS colleagues had a window that looked straight out to sea and my desk was right beside it. It was quite easy to get distracted by the ferries sailing into Portsmouth, they looked as if were heading straight for us and then at the last minute changed tack! 

On 10 June 1996 we were working in the office when there was a very loud bang, in fact 21 very loud bangs which caused the building to shake and the smell of cordite came through the windows. Were we under attack? No, our offices were located very close to the area where the Royal Navy were firing a 21-gun salute in honour of the Queen’s Birthday!









Being at Dolphin provided us with a bird’s eye view of some special and historical events. One memory is standing on the roof of one of the buildings with Lauren Hurst and Yvette Whiston. We were watching the Royal Yacht Britannia leave Portsmouth for the last time. As she sailed past us, we stood to attention and saluted. This felt the right thing to do. 

We certainly made good use of the lovely seafront position. This picture is of the Wardroom. During the summer the officers would have a sandwich lunch on the terrace overlooking the Solent and the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. A great place to watch as Royal Navy ships and ferries heading to and from France, Spain and the Isle of Wight passed by us.






A landmark building was the S.E.T.T (Submarine Escape Training Tower). Since the first man ascended the 100ft column of water to simulate emerging from a sunken submarine, tens of thousands of submariners have made the ascent along with a QA Officer’s forage cap!



On my last day before retiring from the Army I was invited to visit the S.E.T.T. On arrival I left my forage cap in the cloakroom and made my way along with the Medical Officer and the ‘rescue team’ to the top of the tower to watch an ascent. It was strange that the surface was on the 10th Floor of the tower while the bottom was at ground level.

I was told that numerous training sessions are required before submariners develop tolerance, confidence and learn not to respond to the instinct to panic. For beginners it must be reassuring to know that there were observation ports so instructors could monitor their progress as they ascended the 100ft and, escape compartments at 9 and 18 metres depth.

It seemed an age before the diver reached the surface and I think for much of that time I was holding my breath! The diver on climbing out of the water stood to attention in front of me saluted and said “Ma’am I believe this might be yours” and promptly removed my forage cap from his diving suit. My forage cap did not survive its 100-foot journey from the bottom of the tank to the top having been subjected to a pressurised slow ascent – thank goodness I would not be needing it to wear it again!



Lt Col (Retd) Merrill Bate served at the Tri-Service School of Healthcare Studies and Royal Defence Medical College from 1996 to 2002.

In 1999 HMS Dolphin reverted to its original name Fort Blockhouse when the RN Submarine School relocated to Faslane. In 2020 it was announced that S.E.T.T would close and be preserved as a listed building.

WET FEET - Rae Gunn

1984 a year to be remembered for so many different reasons, but a year for adventures and surprises and taking on the world. 

I’m going to go back a few months to the beginning of Autumn of 1983 - the year I turned 21 and the year I qualified as a State Enrolled Nurse (SEN). Today there is no such thing, but back then just over 2 years into becoming a QA I qualified along with the rest of the girls in our intake. I was on my first ward as a trained nurse at RAF Wroughton and many of us were starting to go our own way on separate postings for the first time leaving our friends behind ... at this point I was set to stay in my posting at Wroughton for the foreseeable future and I was happy ... Fast Forward to the end of October of this year and a close friend was heading down the road of getting married and had just received her first posting as a qualified nurse .... The Falkland Islands (new husband was heading to Ireland - not unusual in those days for husbands and wives to go in very different directions). To say she was distraught is an understatement.

So Fast Forward to April 1984 , and there I was stationed in the Falkland Islands, and had been there four full months, having volunteered to take her place, a decision I definitely do not regret.

With little time off while we were there, we found that there was never a dull day off to be had, and with very few girls amongst the troops at that time we were always invited to something on our days off and nights off, heading out for a party somewhere meant nice clothes and generally wellies, mine were yellow and had probably belonged to a few other QAs before myself.

So on this particular day we were invited to a Magical Mystery tour - just turn up they said - so turn up we did , our transport would be awaiting for us they said , and it was in the form of a helicopter - now it was a long time ago so I don’t recall the type I just remember getting on with the other girls very excited - fearless in those days to try something new, we flew over the islands loving the ride not a clue where we were to land - landing it turned out was not an option - they flew us out to sea , and then pointed out where were going , there in front and just breaking the surface was a nuclear submarine - what probably didn’t enter my mind at that point was how we were to get on board

Sometime later following what involved a harness a winch and a lot of encouragement to step out of a flying helicopter , I found myself inside the conning tower of the submarine - climbing down the ladder and eventually coming out inside the main body of the sub - now if I was to say that the inside of the conning tower is dark and the ladder does not go straight down and there were hands of guidance on the way down I am sure you will use your imagination - the days of men only at sea.

The sub was amazing, never could I have imagined how small it was inside and at what close quarters they lived .. our tour was fascinating, we listened to whale sonic wave sounds and were able to see where the nuclear war heads were stored in readiness. At this point knowing we were deep beneath the South Atlantic never crossed my mind - as we were technically still in a war zone we were not to stay on the surface for very long - whilst we were below the weather had turned and the surface was not a good place to be, as a submarine has very little stability when surfaced - but a small group of QA officers and junior ranks being accommodated overnight on board was not an option , not because of where we could be bunked for the night , but because we were woman - the thought for the crew was unthinkable ...

It was decided to bring the helicopter in even though the flying conditions weren’t great .....So here I was again heading this time up the conning tower , it was dark and I think they were very keen for us to leave as there felt like many, many hands pushing me from the rear end, shall we say, to ensure I kept moving upwards ... the sub was very, very unstable on the surface and the helicopter was hovering above , from somewhere in the dark as it was now late in the evening a winch and harness appeared and I was strapped in for the ride of my life - just as they started to winch the South Atlantic sea surged, the submarine rocked to the side and the helicopter dipped, not the best combination when its cold dark very windy and you are suspended somewhere in the middle dangling about in mid-air, or so I thought, with one big wave I found myself paddling far out to sea , boots and trousers now wet and freezing cold, bright lights shining from above, but thankfully still very much attached to the winch ...heading up I think I would be forgiven for thinking I was heading towards the ‘ Other’ light on this occasion ...but thankfully no .... once safely in the helicopter and all other members of our party were aboard the submarine went back below and we headed back to Stanley, on a total high from the day we had had , very tired and some of us rather wet ...

Rae Gunn

Former QARANC