Nursing Staff Records 1914-1918?

[clive_t]

Hi all

Apologies in advance if this is not the right forum for this post - I was torn between this and the WW1 one...

I have tried searching the forum for similar questions/answers to this, but without success. Hence my post.

I have very recently received a small but highly significant lead in my quest to find out more about my paternal grandmother. It appears she met my grandfather whilst nursing him from injuries received in military action (another potentially very interesting avenue to explore, once the number of hours in a day is increased to 48). Given they lived in Bristol, then I am assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that the hospital in question was local to the area.

Can anyone offer any words of wisdom as to where one might obtain staff records for nurses for that area at that time?

Yours in hope

Clive

[Colin Moretti]

Hello Clive

Try the Hospital Records Database (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/); searching for Bristol lists 24 hospitals, clicking on the details button for each will list the records that survive and where they are held.

Also, TNA has several research guides (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guide-listing.htm#n) for nurses

Good luck

Colin

[Kerrywood]

Also, WW1 medal index cards for those who served in Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) can be searched and downloaded at Documents Online (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=10&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1).

[clive_t]

Thanks to both for responses - tantalisingly, there is one medal card entry for Mary Ann O'Brien... but I don't have enough info to verify it is the person I'm looking for... still, for 2 pounds I guess it's worth a punt - wouldn't be the first time I'd invested in a trip down a blind alley!

[Chris Doran]

Try the Royal College of Nursing archive (http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/). Many hospitals for wounded soldiers were staffed by members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD); see TNA page for how to research.

[SueNSW]

There is an active member of the Great War Forum - Sue Light - who has a huge knowledge of army nursing services - she has a website - scarletfinders.co.uk - and this useful page gives some info on resarching army nurses

http://www (dot) scarletfinders.co.uk/2.html

Cheers
Sue

[clive_t]

@Chris & Sue, thanks to you also for these links... I have much to follow up on here I think. As an aside, I actually spoke on the phone last night to an aunt who last saw me in 1963, when I was only 3 - she told me that my grandmother was an Auxiliary Nurse, and she met my grandfather when he was being treated for the effects of a gas attack. She has given me all sorts of leads to follow up, including a cousin I didn't know I had until she mentioned him, who she is sure has a photo of both my grandparents in their respective uniforms!

I feel like a big rusty door is slowly opening to reveal a whole host of things I didn't know before!

Thanks again everyone, for help so generously offered.

[Waitabit]

God bless Aunts! :)

[clive_t]

Amen to that! I didn't know until yesterday that I had any left!