Jacket, Outdoor Dress: Matron-in-Chief, QAIMNS

Norfolk-style single-breasted Outdoor Dress jacket of grey lightweight fabric featuring a fitted fabric belt. The open collar has scarlet facings with grey russia braid decoration to the lower edges, and fitted with QAIMNS bi-metal collar badges. There are two patch pockets to the lower skirt with buttoned straight-cut flaps. Attached to both epaulettes are gilt Crown above three pips. All buttons are of dark grey horn and are exposed. Above the left breast are sewn the following medal ribbons: Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Military Division); Royal Red Cross (with silver Rosette); British War Medal 1914-20; Victory Medal (MiD); General Service Medal (1918-62); 1939-45 Star.

Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service was established in 1902, drawing inspiration directly from the need to supply nurses in the field since the Crimean War. At the end of the Anglo-Boer War the then Army Nursing Service has 800 women serving overseas, and as a consequence was renamed, to become QAIMNS. The First World War required a massive expansion of all medical services and the QAIMNS (Reserve) was formed, going from 300 reservists to over 10,000. There were 700 Regular members of the QAIMNS at the outbreak of the Second World War and their numbers were swelled by both the QAIMNS (Reserve) and the Territorial Army Nursing Service (TANS). Members of all branches were State Registered Nurses and highly skilled, and in uniform were afforded officer status equating to army ranks (civilian members of the Voluntary Aid Detachments worked as supplementary personnel). Women from all three branches served in field and base hospitals, including casualty clearing stations, and consequently faced similar risks as the men they were treating, their posts being in close proximity to the front line. Initially the grey 'outdoor' uniform was worn by the QAIMNS and their Reserve members, as a Service Dress. From 1944 with difficulties of obtaining the traditional fabric, khaki barathea Service Dress was adopted, identical to that worn by the ATS, but with appropriate badges & insignia. Dame Katharine H. Jones served as Chief Principal Matron and Matron-in-Chief of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) during the Second World War. At the outbreak of war, as Chief Principal Matron, Jones mobilised 1000 QAIMNS nurses to serve with the British Expeditionary Force in France, all of whom - including herself - were evacuated from Dunkirk in May-June 1940. In July 1940 she was appointed as Matron-in-Chief of QAIMNS. One of her most significant achievements during the war was gaining the authorisation of QAIMNS nurses to wear Army rank badges in 1942, due to her strong belief that her nurses should be recognised as Army personnel. She retired in 1944.