Category: Royal Australian Army Nursing Service

Categories: Australian Army | Women in World War II

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Formed as the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) in 1902 by amalgamating the nursing services of the colonial-era militaries, and formed part of the Australian Army Medical Corps. The intention of the AANS was to provide a pool of trained civilian nurses who had volunteered for military service during wartime. During The Great War, more than 2,500 women joined the AANS for overseas service in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). More than a thousand more served in the AANS Australian Military Force (AMF) on home service in Australia or joined allied services in addition to the AANS, such as the British Army's Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service (QAINS) or the Red Cross. After that first world war the AANS reverted to a Reserve, being mobilised again from the outset of the Second World War, with many of its members serving overseas. Following that war several AANS nurses were posted to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. The service was renamed the Royal Australian Army Nursing Service (RAANS) in November 1948 and became part of the Australian Regular Army the next year. In 1951, becoming merged, the RAANS and AAMWS (see below) achieved corps status and became the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.

The Australian Army Medical Women's Service (AAMWS) was a military services formation that grew out of the St John Ambulance Voluntary Aid Detachments. It was formed in December 1942 and its members served as nurses in military hospitals in the Middle East, Australia, and with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. In 1951, the AAMWS was merged with the AANS, becoming the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.

Wikipedia: Australian Army Nursing Service.

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