Page 9 - QARANC Vol 18 No 2 2020

A Colonel Commandant of the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps is a retired senior officer of the Corps, appointed by the Military Secretary Honours (MS Hons) following approval by the Sovereign.
The title Colonel Commandant dates back to the period 1922 to 1928 when this name was used as a rank for Commonwealth militaries. It is now used as the title for officers who hold the honorary appointment within a corps or regiment of the British Army. Colonels Commandant assist the Corps by offering their experience and wisdom to support the senior team, and in maintaining esprit de corps.
The appointment is usually for five years although this may be extended to ten years, with the authority of MS Hons, but with an upper age limit of 70. In 2007 the QARANC was given authority to appoint a second Colonel Commandant. One Colonel Commandant is selected from the Regular Army and one from the Army Reserve. They are the Corps’ senior Regimental representatives.
The Colonels Commandant do a considerable amount of work behind the scenes: attending strategy meetings; writing to award winners and recipients of New Years and Birthday Honours; liaison with the Royal
Household; acting as an Association trustee and serving as the QARANC link to the Museum of Military Medicine. In addition you will see our Colonels Commandant representing the Corps at a variety of functions including visits to units, Graduation and Passing out Parades, Remembrance and Corps Day events, reunions and Regimental Dinners. You may have even caught a glimpse of them working at the Nightingale Hospital, skiing down the slopes of Serre Chevalier or pounding the cross trainer in a garage in Wales.
Our recent and current Cols Commandant are:
The Gazette QARANC Association 7
The Role of the Colonels Commandant
Colonel Jane Davis
OBE QVRM TD DL
Our sincere thanks to Col Jane whose six year tenure as Colonel Commandant came to an end this year.
Colonel Carol Kefford
Appointed in 2017 and currently working as Clinical Director, Nuffield Health.
Colonel Kevin Davies
MBE, RRC, OStJ, TD, DL
A Professor of Nursing, Vice Chair and Non-Executive Director of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust and Independent Trustee of St John Wales. Colonel Kevin was appointed in May this year (2020).
Sue McAteer Regimental Secretary