Description
Object description
British officer served with Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps at No 22 Field Hospital, Bahrain and No 33 Field Hospital, Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia during Gulf War, 9/1990-2/1991
Content description
REEL 1 Background in West Indies, GB and Canada, 1946-1977: family; education; nursing training and career in GB and Canada. Recollections of period as officer with Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps in GB, 1977-1991: reasons for joining Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, 1977; training at Queen Alexandra's Royal Nursing Corps Training Centre at Aldershot Garrison, 1977; uniform worn; postings to Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital at Woolwich and Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot; discipline; types of patients dealt with; relations between Queen Alexandra's Royal Nursing Corps personnel and reserves; role at Queen Alexandra's Royal Nursing Corps Training Centre at Aldershot, 1990; increase of male nurses entering nursing profession. Recollections of period as officer with Queen Alexandra's Royal Nursing Corps with No 22 Field Hospital in Bahrain during Gulf War, 9/1990-1/1991: hearing of Gulf Crisis, 1990; organisation of medical services for Gulf; awaiting deployment; issue of kit; training with and opinion of British made Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) suits; problems using Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) suits.
REEL 2 Continues: reaction to leaving for Gulf; flight from GB to Bahrain; arrival in Bahrain; accommodation in hotel whilst setting up of No 22 Field Hospital; contact with RAF personnel and Kuwaiti exiles staying in hotel; access to news; training to perform duties in Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) suits; receiving Nerve Agent Pre-Treatment (NAPS) tablets and injections; situation in 1/1991. Recollections of period as officer with Queen Alexandra's Royal Nursing Corps with No 33 Field Hospital in Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia during Gulf War, 1/1991-2/1991: reaction to transfer to hospital; organisation of British medical services in Gulf; beginning of air war, 1/1991; struggling into Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) suit on hearing sirens; number of patients in hospital; psychological strain of work in hospitals; number of aircraft flying over Al Jubayl; use of sirens to warn against Iraqi Scud Missiles.
REEL 3 Continues: threat of Iraqi Scud Missiles; deployment of American Patriot Missiles; wearing Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) suit; casualties from American friendly fire incidents; contrast between American and British hospital facilities; concerns for shot down Royal Air Force pilots; receiving war news from television and radio; advances in communications during war; receiving post and parcels from GB; presence of media; role of women in war; contrast in training given to Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps and Territorial Army nurses; story of Territorial Army nursing sister who claimed to have Gulf War Syndrome; question of whether Americans would use nuclear weapons; arrival of Iraqi patients.
REEL 4 Continues: treatment of Iraqi patients; hospital's capacity; receiving news from front line from patients; impact of air war on Iraqi forces; pollution caused by burning oil wells; helping to clean oil soaked birds; effects of pollution and arrival of American firefighter Paul 'Red' Adair; effects of and attitude towards Nerve Agent Pre-Treatment (NAPS) tablets; end of Gulf War, 28/2/1991; winding down of hospital, 3/1991; holding end of war party, 28/2/1991; rules regarding alcohol consumption; packing up hospital supplies and equipment; plans for medical research into effects of chemical/biological warfare; attitude towards Gulf War Syndrome and possible causes; question of psychological impact of war; question of lessons learnt from war,
REEL 5 Continues: attitude towards absence of debriefing at end of war; impact of Gulf War experience on later life; question of social life in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia; cultural differences in Saudi Arabia; presence of immigrant workers in hospital; degree of use of air raid shelters; conditions at Al Jubayl; attitude towards situation post-war situation in Iraq. Reflections on service with Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps: reasons for leaving service, 1996; refusal of invitation to serve in Balkans; attitude towards serving in Gulf War.
