Description
Object description
Fabric-covered photograph album, loose prints, letters, documents and ephemera relating to the service of Lieutenant-Colonel Louisa Dodsley in the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service and Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, c.1939-1962. The album contains prints of photographs showing Louise ("Betsy") Dodsley in childhood and at school, at Guy's Hospital during her training as a State Registered Nurse, 1936-1939; then at the Military Hospitals at York, Tidworth and Cambuslang, 1939-1941, followed by service at No. 1 General Hospital, Kantara, Egypt, 1941-1942, including scenes of staff and patients, the wards, operating theatres nurses accommodation and recreational events. Also shown is the inspection of the British fleet at Alexandria by the duke of Gloucester, the transfer of wounded by tenders to a hospital ship at Tobruk, an exchange of prisoners of war from Alexandria to Smyrna; recreational scenes in Egypt, Libya and Palestine. Loose prints show further scenes at No. 1 GH and in the Middle East, and the grave of Lieutenant Cliff Harris RA, killed in Tunisia, April 1943. Post-war images include a group photograph of the nursing staff at the British Military Hospital Rinteln, Germany, and a visit of HM Queen Elisabeth the Queen Mother there in the 1960s with Lt-Col Dodsley in attendance; also Lt-Col Dodsley in retirement with the Royal Red Cross Medal, First Class. Also two prints, nursing training certificates and other documents relating to Lieutenant Colonel M H MacPherson QARANC and her retirement from the service in 1965.
Two letters and letter extracts relating to the death in action and burial of Lieutenant Cliff Harris RA in Tunisia, April 1943; Sister Dodsley's certificate of a mention-in-despatches dated November 1945; letters, telegrams, and a newspaper extract, mainly congratulating (then) Major Dodsley on the award of the Royal Red Cross Medal, First Class, in 1960.
Second World War medal ribbons (1939 to 1945 Star, African Star, GSM Canal Zone, Italy Star, War Medal 1939 to 1945, and Defence Medal 1939 to 1945) and Royal Red Cross medal ribbon, an Italian artillery badge, and small audio tape of a talk by Lt-Col Dodsley relating to the visit of HM Queen Elisabeth the Queen Mother to BMH Rinteln.