Page 63 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

Lt Colonel (Rtd) Audrey Kathleen Mary Wisdom RRC
9 November 1923 - 25 December
2014
Audrey was born in Kingsley,
Hampshire where she lived with her
parents. Her father was an officer
in the Army and at the age of three
the family moved to India where
they stayed for approximately four
years and she often spoke of the vivid and happy memories she had of living in India.
Even from a young age it was evident that Audrey was a very determined and independent young girl. At the age of seven, the family returned to the UK and Audrey started as a pupil at School in Birkdale by Southport, before going to the Royal High School in Bath from the age of 11 – 18 years. After leaving school, Audrey trained as a physical education teacher and then taught at a girls’ school before deciding that she really wanted to be a nurse and went to retrain at the Middlesex Hospital in London. She would recount stories of the hard work and the high jinks they got up to.
Following several happy years in London, Audrey was persuaded to join the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps and she enjoyed the opportunities her postings gave her to see various places including Singapore, Malta, Hong Kong, and Germany. She spoke of caring for a ward full of Gurkha soldiers for whom she had a tremendous amount of respect and liking for. She said they would polish their bedside cabinets until they shone. Audrey trained as Nurse Tutor and took great pride and satisfaction in teaching and encouraging her many students to realise their potential. She always said she had high standards because nursing is a vocation and patients deserve the best of care when they are ill and vulnerable. She would add that her students always rose to the challenges when well supported. She wanted her students to be the best as indeed they were.
Whilst at the QARANC Training Centre Audrey was considered a little bit of a rebel, refusing to wear uniform cotton shirts, she preferred nylon shirts which were easier to wash and dry!
In her midlife, Audrey decided that she also needed another challenge and in her spare time she started to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree through the recently established Open University. She revelled in studying history, art, and music.
Audrey was the Chair of the West Country Branch of The Association and she ran it with true military precision, should you wish to contact her she would be available in the afternoon from two to four and woe betide you if you rang outside these “office hours”
Audrey was always very professional in her work and would appear very confident. However, family and friends would see her other side which was more sensitive because she was really a very shy and private person.
Audrey’s intellect and memory remained impressive and her interest in world affairs and sports and, she could rattle off the headlines and different results for rugby, cricket, tennis and football and they would have difficulty keeping up. She had a strong sense of social justice and regularly wrote letters to her local MP and the Prime Minister to stir them up and urge them to take up the cause of the poor and put right some wrong.
Having been a nomad most of her life, Audrey was happy to return to Bath and to have her own home in Weston when
she retired. She loved the city and her death on Christmas day was a shock for those who loved her. Audrey was laid to rest in Wells Cemetery, the QARANC Association was represented by members of the West Country Branch.
Pauline Novak (with thanks to Audrey’s nephew Richard and niece Susan)
Miss Nancy Wilson Lt Colonel (Retired) 1929 – 2015
Nancy trained at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1947. Following that she completed District Nurse training in Gateshead. From there she went to Harefield Hospital in Middlesex where she undertook her BTH Certificate.
Nancy returned to the North East
working initially at Norman’s Riding
Hospital, returning to the RVI as a Casualty Sister. In 1967 she studied for her teaching certificate and returned to the RVI as a Nurse Tutor, subsequently moving to Freeman Hospital as a Senior Tutor until her retirement in 1985.
Most of her retirement years were spent in Sharperton in beautiful Northumberland.
Nancy joined 1 Northern General Hospital (V) in 1958 and became the Matron of 201 Northern General Hospital (V) from 1973 – 1976.
Her funeral service at Alnwick in Northumberland was well attended and included several members of the QARANC Association, three of whom were former Matrons of 201 Field Hospital (V).
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