Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service Reserve (PCANSR)
Princess Helena RRC (AKA Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein), the third daughter of Queen Victoria, formed the Princess Christian's Army Nursing Reserve in 1897. Two years later, they proved their worth in the Second Boer War The relatively small number of fulltime nurses in the Army Nursing Service, was always going to be a problem in a major conflict. In 1897 an Army Nursing Service Reserve was established, run by a committee chaired by Princess Christian, hence it was known as Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve (PCANSR). In wartime it came under the direction of the War Office. During the war in South Africa the PCANSR employed nurses from all over the world.
British nurse Edith Mary Beesby RRC began her military career in the Princess Christian's Army Nursing Reserve, saw active service in South Africa, and rose to become the Lady Superintendent at the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital in Aldershot.
PCANSR Tippet with Circular Badge
Differences between ANS and PCANSR uniforms are not obvious because at the time both wore the scarlet tippet. The ANS nurses did not have a tippet badge like those worn by nurses in WWI. The PCANSR nurses had a round silver tippet badge, which they wore on the right-hand side of their tippet.
The ANS and PCANSR would morph into the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and QAIMNS(R) by the time of WW I. QAIMNS and QAIMNS(R) would have a compliment of 10,000 regular and reserve nurses by comparison to the Boer War numbers.
Princess Helena RRC (AKA Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein), the third daughter of Queen Victoria, formed the Princess Christian's Army Nursing Reserve in 1897. Two years later, they proved their worth in the Second Boer War The relatively small number of fulltime nurses in the Army Nursing Service, was always going to be a problem in a major conflict. In 1897 an Army Nursing Service Reserve was established, run by a committee chaired by Princess Christian, hence it was known as Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve (PCANSR). In wartime it came under the direction of the War Office. During the war in South Africa the PCANSR employed nurses from all over the world.
British nurse Edith Mary Beesby RRC began her military career in the Princess Christian's Army Nursing Reserve, saw active service in South Africa, and rose to become the Lady Superintendent at the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital in Aldershot.
PCANSR Tippet with Circular Badge
The ANS and PCANSR would morph into the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and QAIMNS(R) by the time of WW I. QAIMNS and QAIMNS(R) would have a compliment of 10,000 regular and reserve nurses by comparison to the Boer War numbers.
Website Maintained by Vaudezilla