Helen Francis Adamson as a member of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC), interviewed by Jan Bassett

Places	Asia: Malaya Oceania: Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra Oceania: Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Ingleburn Oceania: Australia, Queensland, Brisbane Oceania: Australia, Queensland, Brisbane, Yeronga Oceania: Australia, Queensland, North Queensland, Townsville Oceania: Australia, Victoria, Puckapunyal
Accession Number	S01810
Collection type	Sound
Measurement	40 min 4 sec
Object type	Oral history
Physical description	1/4 inch sound tape reel; BASF LP 35; 3 3/4 ips/9.5 cm.s; stereo; 5 inch
Maker	Adamson, Helen Francis Bassett, Jan
Date made	16 July 1987
Access	Open
Conflict	Period 1970-1979 Period 1960-1969 Period 1980-1989
Copyright	Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions	Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Source credit to	AWM Special Project Fellowship Award

Description

Early life; civilian nursing training and experience; joined Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC) in 1959; first posting to Puckapunyal in Victoria; describes uniform; posted to Ingleburn in NSW then to Malaya in 1962; describes nursing duties; relationship between Australian and British nurses; suitability of uniform in tropical climate; leave and recreation; returned to Australia; posted to hospital at Royal Military College Duntroon in Canberra; posted to No.1 Military Hospital, Yeronga in Queensland; description of the type of injuries and illness dealt with; posted as Adjutant to Citizens Military Force (CMF) training unit in Brisbane from 1964-68; posted to Townsville to establish camp hospital for Laverack Barracks; posted to Puckapunyal as Matron; posted as Senior Sister to SAS Regiment sick bay in Western Australia; returned to 1 Military Hospital, Yeronga in 1973; promoted to Assistant Director in Headquarters, Queensland District; promoted to Matron in Chief, Army Headquarters, Canberra in January 1980; administrative problems caused by married nurses, particularly those married to service personnel; duties as Matron in Chief; duties of Australian sisters posted to the Pacific Islands Regiment hospital in New Guinea; overseas exchange programs; whether army nurses should be trained to use and carry weapons; recounts story in Malaya of cart containing milk rations accidentally tipping over in monsoon drain; relations between military and civilian nurses/nursing; acceptance of married nurses in the army; introduction of new nurses' uniform in the 1970's. END OF INTERVIEW
A transcript of this recording may be available. For further information please contact the Sound section.