Page 54 - QARANC Vol 20 No 2 2022

54 The Gazette QARANC Association
OBITUARY
Gillian Russell
Gillian ‘Gill’ Russell RRC TD who has died aged 84 was a proud member of the Armed Forces as well as an exuberant country dancer who left a lasting impression on everyone.
She was born on 24 June 1937 in London. Her mother reportedly chose the name Gillian in the expectation it would not be shortened. Little did she know!
Gill’s father died in 1949 and her mother later remarried. Her stepfather encouraged a love of music, choral singing and the piano which remained throughout her life. She attended Putney High School from 1948- 1955 and although she claimed her academic results were underwhelming, she excelled at games being captain of the hockey, netball and tennis teams.
Gill’s nurse training was at St George’s Hospital, Hyde Park. As a registered nurse, she went on to complete her neurological and neurology surgical training, spending time at the Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon. This was followed by midwifery training in Craigton, Glasgow. From there, she joined her half-brother, his wife, and their daughters in Kenya and worked for a time in a mission hospital in the Bush. On returning to the UK, she travelled aboard a cargo ship, through the Suez Canal, with a herd of camels for company.
Gill returned to college and gained her health visitor qualification in 1962. It was whilst working on her ‘patch’ in Wandsworth, that she was asked to teach first aid to territorial army cadets. This experience was responsible for Gill developing an interest in joining the territorial army herself, as a nurse in a hospital unit. She joined 257(S) General Hospital R.A.M.C. (V) based in the Duke of York’s Barracks, Kings Road, Chelsea and was commissioned as a Captain QARANC(V) in 1967.
This was an important year for Gill, as she also commenced her role with Unilever, London. Although, not a qualified social worker with medical experience as required in the job specification, Gill obtained an interview and persuaded the committee that someone with extensive nursing and health visiting knowledge and practice was also qualified. She was appointed Medical Social Advisor and held the
post until her retirement in 1999. During her time with Unilever, she completed a bereavement counsellor course and volunteered as a counsellor with the Princess Alice Hospice in
Esher, Surrey.
Gill also discovered Scottish country
dancing, another lifelong interest of hers; she formed a group called the Cairngorm Dancers and organised weekend schools and Hogmanay breaks.
In 1976, Gill was appointed Matron of 257(S) General Hospital R.A.M.C. (V), with units in Harrow, Ipswich, and Norwich. It was disbanded in 1995. Visiting these far-flung units and with a weekly training session in Chelsea and an annual camp in Germany, this kept Gill very occupied, as well as maintaining her civilian role.
Her bubbly personality, combined with an irrepressible sense of humour, and her approachability to everyone, stood her in good stead – especially when decisions needed to be made. She dealt with training objectives and army regulations – with a no-nonsense approach. Her style almost failed once, when she attempted to organise the officers in a Scottish dancing evening in the officers’ mess. Her patience almost wore thin - but she kept her sense of humour throughout – despite the odds!
Gill received the territorial decoration and on retirement in 1998, was awarded the Ordinary Member of the Royal Red Cross, First Class (RRC).
After twenty years of service in the Territorial Army, she retained her interest in the Army by joining the QA Association, Millbank Branch - where she was involved with all the social events and served as chairman for several years.
In 1987, Gill moved from her flat in London to a house in Ashtead, Surrey, to share with Rita, another country dancing enthusiast. A lively retirement followed, with parties and Scottish dancing, gardening...and bowls. She made her presence felt in her usual exuberant way and was awarded the Lady Captain’s Trophy in 2007, not for her skill on the green, but because she had made the club a more welcoming and inclusive place.
She instituted a strict uniform policy,
and the men were taken to task for wearing hats in the clubhouse or wearing the wrong-coloured socks with their grey or white trousers. Inspections were conducted by ‘Matron.’
Gill’s stroke resulted in her requiring constant care with all aspects of her life until her death on 27 December 2021. She would wish to be remembered as she had lived – an indomitable character who seized the life that she had with vigour, determination, intelligence, fairness, much kindness and a lively humour. Some leave footprints in the sand, but Gill left large, army boot prints on parade grounds from Chelsea to East Anglia.
Lt Col C. Platt QARANC (V) RRC TD retired, with contributions from friends of Gill.