TERRITORIAL FORCE NURSING SERVICE    POST-WAR SUMMARY

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As a member of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, Dame Maud McCarthy carried out the duties of Principal Matron, and then Matron-in-Chief in France and Flanders for a five year period, from the outbreak of war until her return home in the summer of 1919.  As she had already exceeded the length of tenure of the post of Matron-in-Chief of the service, she retired from QAIMNS, but in 1920 was appointed to the position of Matron-in-Chief of the Territorial Force Nursing Service - a common progression.  In December 1920 she addressed a meeting of the Territorial Force Nursing Service of the City and County of London, which was reported in the British Journal of Nursing.  It includes a useful summing up and provides statistics which have become commonly accepted as accurate figures for the Service during the Great War.

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TERRITORIAL FORCE NURSING SERVICE, CITY AND COUNTY OF LONDON
From British Journal of Nursing, 11 December 1920, page 326

A meeting of the Territorial Force Nursing Service of the City and County of London met at the Mansion House for the first time since the war, on December 2nd. Lady Dimsdale presided, and announced that the new Lady Mayoress had accepted the Presidency of the Committee.
Dame E. Maud McCarthy, G.B.E., R.R.C. was welcomed as Matron-in-Chief of the T.F.N.S., and presented the following Report of the Service during the war:-

ESTABLISHMENT
In 1914, 23 General Hospitals were established, consisting of 520 beds each and staffed by 121 members, making a total of 2,783, of this number 2,116 nurses were required for 23 General Hospitals, and the remaining 667 were to replace casualties. Later the 5th London General Hospital was opened, making 24 in all.  In addition to the force of 2,783 there were enrolled by the Principal Matrons during the war 5,357 members, making a total of 8,140, of which 2,280 served abroad. The total number who served were 7,117.  The hospitals sent abroad were as follows:-

1. TO FRANCE
The London General Hospital No.53, The London General Hospital No.54, The Eastern General Hospital No.55, The Southern General Hospital No.56, The Western General Hospital No.57, The Scottish General Hospital No.58, The Northern General Hospital No.59, 20 General Hospital, 30 General Hospital, 73 General Hospital.

2. TO SALONICA
30 Stationary Hospital, 36 General Hospital, 48 General Hospital, 61 General Hospital.

3. TO MALTA
Stationary Hospital

4. TO EGYPT
General Hospital

5. TO MESOPOTAMIA
34 The Welsh General Hospital

6. TO EAST AFRICA
15 Stationary Hospital

In addition to these hospitals, large numbers were sent out as reinforcements to the Regular Service, and from these members were posted to Casualty Clearing Stations, Ambulance Trains and Barges, on arrival in the theatre of war to which they were seconded. Staffs were also provided for Hospital Ships.

DEATHS
Of the total number of members 6 were killed by enemy action and 42 died from illness, 9 abroad and 33 at home, making at total of 48.

STANDARD OF NURSING
The work of the Territorial Force Nursing Service throughout the war was most satisfactory, and the nursing reached a very high standard. Apart from their general training the discipline and general behaviour of the members was so excellent that it was only found necessary to dismiss seven as unsuitable for service with the Army.

WORK AND EXPERIENCE ON ACTIVE SERVICE
Not only was a very high standard of nursing preserved, but the members proved themselves adaptable, and very quickly fell into the new conditions on active service, where they were housed and worked in improvised buildings, huts or under canvas.
They were employed in special duties such as surgical teams, and had opportunities of taking charge of wards where they could study the new treatment of fractured femurs, jaw cases, and other work, while some had charge of small units and field ambulances in the very forward areas. A matron and certain T.F.N.S. members managed a General Hospital for the Portuguese, who were delighted and astonished at what the English were able to do for the sick and wounded soldiers. Many took part in the nursing of the Belgian refugees suffering from enteric, and other refugees during the retreats and our rapid advance, and a certain number were asked to staff a hospital in Bruges during the violent epidemic of influenza towards the end of the war. Thus they had opportunities of nursing men, women and children, and it was, therefore, possible to realise how good had been the selection, and how excellent was the general training of these ladies, since they were not only able to care for the sick and wounded soldiers whom they had expected to nurse, but they had many opportunities of working in various other branches of the Profession.

DEVOTION TO THE WOUNDED
The wonderful thoughtfulness of the nurses in the midst of their arduous duties were most remarkable. They were always kindly and never neglected to write to the relatives of a seriously wounded man, and many of them were extremely careful in tending the graves of their patients who had died, so long as they were in the same locality, and of keeping the relatives informed of what had been done for them at the end.
In conclusion I should like to call attention to the great courage and absolute disregard of self shown by nurses carrying on their duties calmly and collectedly with complete self-forgetfulness during a heavy enemy bombardment.  The number of untrained members include Assistant Nurses, Special Military Probationers and Nursing V.A.D. members. The work performed by these ladies was most satisfactory.

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