Page 19 - QARANC Vol 16 No 1 2018

THE GAZETTE QARANC 17
Major Rosemary Godfrey ARRC
It’s not often that the Association Gazette receives any information about personnel who have received a decoration from HM The Queen, so it gives us real pleasure to reproduce this write-up on Reservist Rosie Godfrey produced by the Army Media Department.
Whilst a Friday 13th is considered to be unlucky for some, Friday 13 October proved to be far from unlucky for Maj Rosemary ‘Rosie ‘Godfrey, an Army Reservist with 212 Field Hospital, based in Sheffield.
Maj Godfrey was honoured in last June’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List, being awarded the Associate Royal Red Cross (ARRC) for continuous excellent nursing service. Rosie’s deployments have included two tours to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2013. In addition to her Afghanistan deployments, she was deployed in 2015 to Sierra Leone on Operation Gritrock, where the British Army provided medical engineering and planning capabilities to the Sierra Leonean Government as a result of the Ebola outbreak.
The Commanding Officer of 212 Field Hospital, Col Chris Mason said, “I was truly delighted to see that Maj Rosie Godfrey has been so honoured. She epitomises the very best qualities of an Army Reserve Nursing Officer, utilising her NHS acquired skills and
experience, with targeted additional training, utilising these on deployments of national importance”.
In addition to Rosie’s honour for her work in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone she was also in the top ten Women in Defence for Inspirational Category 2016 https://www.womenindefenceuk.com/ women-in-defence-awards-2017.
Maj Godfrey said of her honour, “This is a fantastic moment in my career and I am very proud to have been put forward and awarded the Associate Royal Red Cross; this is a massive achievement for me and my family, who have supported me through my military and civilian career”.
Maj Godfrey has demonstrated her ability as an inspirational individual, having a broad range of experience as an Army Reservist Nurse. Since returning from her deployments, Rosie has given several presentations on her military experiences to reservist units, university recruitment events, Leeds NHS Trust, NHSBT (blood and transplant) throughout England including Newcastle, Manchester, Bristol and Cumbria.
When not undertaking her military commitments as an Army Reservist, Rosie works for the NHS as a senior sister in the blood and transplant unit in Leeds Hospitals.
Maj Rosemary Godfrey after receiving the ARRC from HM the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Friday 13 October, 2017 (Image Crown copyright)
Visit to US Army Researchers
at Landstuhl, Germany
Lt Col Debra Ritsperis recently visited the United States Army Centre for Nursing Science and Clinical Enquiry at Landstuhl, Germany. Some joint work will explore how UK, US and Australian Army nurses prepare clinically for their deployments, as well as how each Army conducts its nursing research.
Lt Col Ritsperis presented a QARANC commemorative medal and Corps plaque to Lt Col Ann Ketz, Chief US Army Nurse Scientist at the Centre.
Lt Col Debra Ritsperis, Army HQ
Lt Col Ritsperis presenting the medal and plaque to Lt Col Ketz and her colleagues
The Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is the only decoration awarded specifically to nurses (and others engaged in nursing) who serve in the Armed Forces, in recognition of exceptional performance and dedication in nursing. The decoration was established on St George’s Day 1883, and could be conferred on women engaged in the nursing profession regardless of rank who were caring for sick and wounded servicemen at home and aboard. An Associate class (ARRC) was established in 1915.
Up to the early 1990s recipients’ names were recorded in the Register of the Royal Red Cross. The original Register is held at the National Archives at Kew, but a complete copy is available at the Museum of Military Medicine. The first name on the Register is that of Queen Victoria, followed by that of Princess Alexandra, later to be Queen Alexandra and whose name our Corps proudly bears. Other Royal Princesses were among the first recipients, as was Florence Nightingale. Dame Sidney Jane Browne, the first Matron in Chief of the newly formed QAIMNS in 1902 and a founder of the Royal College of Nursing was an early recipient. Names are Gazetted (i.e. – listed in the London Gazette), and this publication is available on-line and is searchable.
Thousands of RRCs and ARRCs have been awarded over the years, with vast majority awarded in the First and Second World Wars.
We hope to publish more on the RRC in a future edition of the Gazette.
Alison Spires, Editor