Australian Army Nursing Service
The AANS was set up in 1903 as an amalgamation of prior colonial units as part of the Australian Army Medical Service. It was a reserve unit of nurses who would volunteer for service during periods of conflict, and saw active duty in both World Wars. It was given the Royal prefix in 1948, and became part of the regular army in 1949. It reached corps status in 1951.
The Brisbane Courier, 26th November 1903 page 5.
Weekly Times (Vic), 26th January 1907 page 9. A member of the AANS of Victoria.
The Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser, 22nd July 1908 page 230. AANS, NSW.
Australian War Museum item #05839. AANS woollen cape, with a small oxidised brass AMF button to secure the shoulder, WW1.
State Library SA, detail from photo #B63113 c.1945.
Sr. Ellen Savage, c 1942. The AMF buttons can be seen.
Air Force News, 1st November 1999, page 2. Volunteers paraded in uniforms from various eras during the unveiling of a nursing memorial in Canberra.
The nurses did not get their own designed uniform button until 1954.
The Argus newspaper (Melbourne), 12th March 1954.
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