Page 16 - QARANC Vol 14 No 9 2014

14 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Florence Nightingale Service 7 May 14
Cpl Lindley and I attended the Florence
Nightingale commemoration service at
Westminster Abbey on the evening of
7 May 14. It was a sunny evening, if
a little cold, with the promise of rain
at any moment. We arrived at the
Abbey in our suits with excitement
looking forward to experiencing the
grand and prestigious ceremony. We
entered, along side many other service
personnel from Army, Royal Navy and
Royal Air Force, in awe of the beautiful
surroundings. We took our seats near
the entrance; the abbey was already
full to bursting with people from all
walks of life. Some were dressed
in service uniform, some in smart suits, others in casual clothing, and many in hospital uniforms. We were surprised at the number of people, at the scale of the event, and at the beauty of Westminster Abbey itself. The stained glass windows were captivating, the carved stonework stunning and the shear height of the vaulted nave was breath taking. It is in fact, the highest gothic nave in England.
The service is held annually in memory of Florence Nightingale and in gratitude to her care for the troops during the Crimean Campaign. It started with a procession of choir singers, followed by the Adjutant and Chelsea Pensioners and the Honorary Officers of the Florence Nightingale Foundation and then the Lord Mayor of Westminster. We were invited to join in the singing soon after with various hymns - some classics, some lesser known - all enjoyable. Speeches followed from The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, Ros Moore, Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland and Group Captain Michael Priestley, Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing
Service, Defence Nursing Adviser, which were all very inspirational.
The procession of the Roll of Honour, a record of those nurses and midwives who gave their lives while caring for the sick and wounded during the Second World War, was received by the Dean and placed near the High Altar, followed by an address from the Dean. After this, Florence Nightingale Foundation Scholar Gloria Rowland paraded a replica of the lamp carried by Florence Nightingale down the aisle, towards the high alter, accompanied by staff nurses, health care assistants and student nurses from the University of the West of England.
Further speeches were made by the Chief Executive of the Florence Nightingale Foundation, Jeremy Hunt Secretary of State for Health and Dr Jane Hedges, Sub-dean, Canon Steward and Archdeacon of Westminster, culminating in a rendition of Jerusalem and God Save the Queen.
The service was a little over an hour, and we waited for the majority of the guests to depart, hoping to make our way further down the abbey to catch a glimpse of the high alter. Unfortunately this plan was thwarted, as the staff were keen to clear the abbey and close it for the evening. We each lit a votive candle on our way out, and then made our way outside to listen to the bells. A lovely evening was had by all, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We felt very grateful for the opportunity to represent 201 Field Hospital at such a moving and highly regarded event.
Pte Sara Palmer QARANC
201 (Northern) Field Hospital
The Not Forgotten Association
The Not Forgotten Association is a charity providing entertainment and leisure facilities for Service and ex-Service men and women whose lives have been affected by injury during or after Service in the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force. The Chief Executive of the Association is Colonel (Retd) Piers Storie-Pugh whose late father was interned in Colditz during WW2
Miss Marta Cunningham founded the Not Forgotten Association in 1920. Marta was born in the United States in 1869 and educated at the high school Convent of Notre Dame in Baltimore, Maryland until 1887. After high school she left America for Europe and trained as a singer in Paris and also received vocal training in Geneva, Germany and in London.
The Not Forgotten Association began as a direct result of World War 1. Marta regularly performed in London and one day in 1919 she visited injured soldiers in hospital and was surprised how listless and uninterested they were in her arrival. Marta offered to sing for them and within a year she had set up The Not Forgotten Association, organising concerts for wounded ex servicemen with the help of her society friends.
It was Marta’s intention to ensure that these men living out of the public view in hospital would know that they were indeed “Not Forgotten”. Marta had connections in Royal circles and invited Her Royal Highness Princess Mary to be the first Patron of the Association. Princess Mary was the daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. During and after the war Princess Mary was also keen to help the war wounded and their families. She had founded the Princess Mary Christmas Gift Fund in 1914, sending gifts to British soldiers on active service at Christmas in December 1914.
One of the trips arranged for patients to leave the confines of hospitals and convalescent homes by the “Not Forgotten” Association was an invitation to attend a party at Buckingham Palace, which became an annual event.
The traditional annual party is still held at Buckingham Palace each year as a Garden Party in the grounds of the Palace. The QARANC Association receives 6 tickets annually and applications from retired/Veterans, to attend the Garden Party should be made to RHQ via Branches by 1st March annually.
Pauline Novak
Vice President QARANC Association