WW1 Resources for Re-enactors

Historical Research

– Looking for the Evidence By Jennifer Baker ( Jenny Baker )

WW1 Women's Services Resources

for Re-enactors

This page is dedicated to

Iris Margaret Robinson

WW1 Living Historian / Re-enactor

1936 - 2013

and my Inspiration for the research into

WW1 Womens Services

Research Disclaimer : Please note that This Research was done many years ago now :

so the information contained may now be out of date , photos gone missing or web links broken

My apologises : But It has become an impossible task to try and keep it up to date - Jenny

Service Units in which Australian women served in

A Summary of Units in which Australian Women Served in during WW1 PDF

AANS - Australian Army Nursing Service

Arrival of first detachment of Sisters on Lemnos Island.

They marched to the hospital headed by a piper.

[AW Savage, photo album, PXE 698, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales] The 3rd Australian General Hospital 7th Aug 1915

- wearing the 1914 outdoor dress

AANS Uniforms Information

AANS Uniform & Service Requirements webpage

AANS Uniform Ranks , Colour patches and Service Chevrons PDF 8 pages

CHAPTER XI THE.AUSTRALIAN ARMY NURSING SERVICE’

Page 548 - PROBLEMS AND SERVICES

On return from Egypt in his tour of inspection 1915-16 General Fetherston reported to the Minister that Australian nurses suffered considerable disability through absence of badges of rank indicating their position as 0fficers.3~ He recommended that the following badges-in oxidised copper-be worn on all uniforms by all nurses : Matron-in-Chief-crown ; Principal Matron or Matron-three stars ; Sister-two stars ; Staff Nurse-one star. The Adjutant-General concurred, the Military Board concurred, and it was ordered on 18th April 1916.

https://static.awm.gov.au/.../pdf/RCDIG1069546--1-.PDF

AANS 1914 Uniform Details PDF 14 pages

AANS 1916 Uniform Details PDF 19 pages

AANS Original Tippet - Dimensions & Photos PDF 3 pages

Thank you to CLaire Faulkner for creating this PDF for me

Patterns for the uniform can be obtained from The Tailor's Apprentice

Their Website Their Facebook Page

AANS Sleeve Badge can be brought from Lukus Productions

Their Website ( It the last one at the bottom of the page )

1912 Australian Standing orders for dress. The AANS starts on page 9 Link to PDF

QAIMNSR - Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve

AWM P03896.001 - Matron Alice Alanna Cashin, in front of a tent in the grounds of a British General Hospital in Calais. Matron Cashin was an Australian nurse who served in Britain's official army nursing organisation - the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS).

A hand written note on the verso reads: 'This little photo was taken at our hospital in Calais where I have been nursing the poor Belgians. I am now on my way to Egypt! With loving thoughts from the original Alice.'

Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Uniform Information

QAIMNS Uniform details webpage

Blue Birds - Blue Birds French Red Cross

Twenty nurses and an interpreter from the hospital ship HMAT Kanowna (A61). The sisters were appointed by the NSW Division of the British Red Cross Society to nurse wounded French soldiers. Their uniforms are a distinctive blue, hence their name, the Bluebirds.

Identified are Sister Crommelin (front row, left) and Sister Fullerton Gray (front row, fifth from left). An interpreter, Miss Niau (front row, third from right), accompanied the group on the voyage to improve their French language. The fringed leather kit bag held by some of the sisters was presented to each of them by the French-Australian League of Help in Sydney prior to their departure.

Photo : Australian Red Cross nurses and their French tutor Josephine Niau beside KANOWNA, Melbourne 1916.

ANMM Collection 00027608

Blue Birds Uniform Information

Blue Birds Uniform webpage

VAD - Voluntary Aid Detachment

Outdoors group portrait of unidentified Voluntary Aid Detachment workers outside the main entrance of the No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital

AWM Photo D00565

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Uniform Details

VAD Uniform Details webpage

British Red Cross

Photos of VAD Uniforms - pictures from

" Britains Civilian Volunteers by Thekla Bowser"

Printed in 1917

British Red Cross uniform details

British Red Cross / VAD uniform details ( PDF by the Red Cross )

Photos of VAD Uniforms - pictures from " Britains Civilian Volunteers by Thekla Bowser" Printed in 1917

scanned book at https://archive.org/stream/britainscivilian00bows#page/n7/mode/2up

TFNS - Territorial Force Nursing Service

Unidentified Group of Territorial Force Nursing Service Nurses

Photo sourced from Peter Maleczek Flickr photo album

Territorial Force Nursing Service uniform details

TFNS Uniform details webpage

NZANS - New Zealand Army Nursing Service

Group portrait of the first 69 nurses and 11 staff to leave for World War I.

Taken on the steps of the General Assembly Library, Wellington, by an unidentified photographer for The Press newspaper of Christchurch

Photo sourced from NZ National Library Photo : 1/1-008879-G

New Zealand Army Nursing Service uniform details

NZANS Uniform details webpage

WACC Women's Army Auxiliary Corps / QMAAC - Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps

Studio portrait of K M R Jones, No 887 Company Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) (later Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps) wearing the uniform comprising a greatcoat, brown felt hat and gaiters covering the shoes.

AWM Photo A03536

Informal group portrait of members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.

A black dog is sitting between the two women at the right hand end of the front row.

AWM Photo A03567

Women's Army Auxiliary Corps / Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps uniform details

WAAC Uniform Details webpage

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