Page 12 - QARANC Vol 14 No 6 2013

10 QARANC THE GAZETTE
At 11 o’clock on the 11th of November 1976, while much of the nation was observing two minutes silence for those who had died in the two Great Wars and other conflicts, I was ushered into Room 127 at AMD4, Lansdowne House, Berkeley Square, London W18 6AA for my interview for a commission in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.
It was a sparsely furnished room but immaculately tidy. There were 3 smartly dressed ladies in grey military uniform sitting behind the forward positioned desk and a 4th lady similarly dressed at a desk at the rear. So this was it! The moment I had waited for since making my application to join the QARANC during the early balmy Autumn days that year. The process from application to interview had not taken as long as I thought it would. To prepare and equip myself for this interview I had sent off to the QARANC museum for a paperback book, “Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps” by Juliet Piggott which I read from cover to cover several times prior to my interview. In order to look my best for what was a very important interview and occasion I had treated myself to a new outfit. I wore a mid blue/grey fitted coat dress with black accessories (including gloves) purchased from John Lewis in Oxford Street, highlighted with a red poppy as it was Remembrance Day. I had also bought a new black leather brief case (which I still have) to hold the documents which I had been asked to take with me. These included Birth Certificate, School/Education Certificates, Training School Certificates, Midwifery Certificates, and additionally my Operating Theatre Certificate which I had been awarded at The Westminster Hospital in London, SW1 where I was presently employed as a Theatre Sister. The scene was set; I was asked to sit down and relinquish the contents of my briefcase. Nervously I obeyed. My memories of the ensuing hour or so are hazy and although I seemed to have occupied Room 127 for hours,
in reality it was only about 60 minutes or so. Throughout the interview I could see the Officer at the back of the room scrutinising my certificates and taking many notes while I did my best to answer the questions put to me, in a professional and confident manner. Interview over I found myself back in the cool damp November air in Berkeley Square, and with my head buzzing with the mornings activities. I decided to walk back to Ashley Gardens, SW1 where I lived, stopping off for a light lunch and a pot of tea at Fortnum and Masons.
9 days later I received my letter of acceptance for a Short Service Commission for 4 years, accompanied with my personal number and date for joining, the 31st of January 1977. I had 71 days to prepare for my next move which would be interrupted by a Christmas holiday already booked, allowing me to spend time at home for a traditional festive break with my parents and family which they had always loved arranging for me and my two sisters.
The night of the 30th of January was a restless one. I had never suffered from insomnia even as a child, but that night was an exception and I slept for short periods if at all. My large metal trunk filled to bursting with personal belongings - my radio cassette, books and clothing etc. - had been sent on ahead to the QARANC Training Centre in Aldershot. I was left in my bedsit in Ashley Gardens with a set of 3 suitcases and a holdall, also filled to bursting (a Christmas gift from my parents) ready for my journey the following day. My brother-in-law Andrew, a member of The Honourable Artillery Company in The City of London was to accompany me to Aldershot. It was a cold January morning with bright blue clear skies when he arrived for the short journey to the military town of Aldershot. On arrival in the main reception area for the Student Officers Basic Course No. 301 and laden with suitcases surrounded by other women making the same career change I met Alison Spires formerly
Lock, we had been pupil midwives together at Queen Charlottes Maternity Hospital in London. Unknown to either of us we had applied to join the QA’s at the same time. It was a happy re- union and we have remained friends ever since.
Those 3 weeks passed by very quickly, our feet barely touching the ground! At the end of the course as Lieutenant M E Barclay QARANC I was posted to The Royal Herbert Hospital at Woolwich followed by the move to the newly purpose-built Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital later that summer. Confirmation of my promotion to the rank of Captain was from the 13th of August 1977. My second year, 1978, was spent at Princess Mary’s Hospital at RAF Wroughton followed by two years at the British Military Hospital in Hannover. During my time in BAOR I had been successful with my application for a Regular Commission. As a result I was posted to attend Junior Staff College at Warminster in March 1981 for 3 months, preceded by 3 other courses. Towards the end of 1981 I had returned to QEMH at Woolwich. One morning in Mid- December I was called to Matron’s office, she handed me a piece of paper headed Loose Minute. This proved to be my formal notification of attachment to 2 Field Hospital from the 1st of April 1982 to 31st of March 1983. I thanked her and returned to my duties, little realising how this brief encounter was to change my life in so many ways.
The summer of ’82 evolved not as expected! I attended the pre-standby exercise, Exercise Top Cat, located just outside Aldershot from the 1st- 7th of March 1982 and if all had gone to plan 2 Field Hospital would have re-convened later in the year for the Autumn exercises in BAOR in Northern Germany. However, as there was a dramatic turn of events on the 2nd of April the situation changed, and as the saying goes the rest is history. For me though, as it did for many others, life became very busy. Once the fighting in the South Atlantic had started the