page_title: First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
section_title: Second World War
hierarchical_section_title: First Aid Nursing Yeomanry / Second World War
caption_attribution_description: 1945. STUDIO PORTRAIT OF NANCY WAKE, HIGHLY DECORATED WOMAN MEMBER OF THE ALLIED ESCAPE ROUTE ORGANISATION IN OCCUPIED FRANCE 1940 - 1943. FOR HER WORK WITHIN THE FRENCH RESISTANCE SHE WAS KNOWN BY THE GESTAPO AS THE WHITE MOUSE. SHE IS WEARING A BRITISH ARMY UNIFORM, THAT OF THE FIRST AID NURSING YEOMANRY. (DONOR N. FORWARD) Copyright Clear Higher resolution versions of this image may be ordered through the AWM Website at www.awm.gov.au The photo was taken during the Second World War. Higher resolution images may be ordered through the AWM (Source: email from the AWM to Nick Dowling 6 January 2006).
context_page_description: The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry is a British independent all-female registered charity formed in 1907 and active in both nursing and intelligence work during the World Wars. Although the corps is on the Army list, and its members wear a military-style uniform and use the Army rank structure, it is not part of the Regular Army or Army Reserve; members of the all-officer corps do not train at Sandhurst, nor do they hold a commission.
context_section_description: At the start of the war the FANY was led by Mary Baxter Ellis who had served with the Corps during the First World War. Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was the first Chief Controller of the newly formed Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). This was a role that Ellis had turned down as she preferred to lead the FANY. Ellis agreed however to supply 1,500 FANY motor mechanics to serve with the ATS as long as these FANYs could be independent. This was agreed but Gwynne-Vaughan broke the agreement and forced the FANY/ATS to be absorbed into the territorial service. Ellis demurred, but won the agreement that these FANY/ATS would wear their FANY flash, a tradition dating back many years, with the chinstrap of their hats over the crown. An autonomous FANY HQ ran simultaneously in London. These members were known as the ‘Free FANYs', and they wore their uniform as of right.
  One better known role of the FANY in the Second World War is their service with the Special Operations Executive. FANYs became involved in the SOE in 1940 through the friendship between Phyllis Bingham (secretary to the then Corps commander) and Colonel, later Major-General, Colin Gubbins (Director of Operations and Training SOE). The FANYs service began with their involvement in the highly secretive Auxiliary Units set up in 1940 as a stay-behind force in case of invasion. By the end of the war over 3,000 FANYs had served with SOE; as trainers, coders, signallers, forgers, dispatchers, and, most famously, as agents. Recruits were trained in one of four fields: Motor transport, wireless telegraphy, codes or general. They worked on coding and signals, acting as conductors for agents and providing administration and technical support for the Special Training Schools. Their work was top secret and often highly skilled. 
  Of the 50 women sent by SOE into France 39 were members of the FANY. Of these 39 women, 12 were murdered by the Nazis and one Corps member died in the field. Many decorations, of both the UK and other countries, were awarded to FANYs for their service and outstanding courage. Among these, four of the highest UK decorations were the George Cross awarded to Odette Hallowes (who was incarcerated and tortured, but survived the war), Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan (these latter two perishing in captivity and decorated posthumously). Nancy Wake's awards included the George Medal.
  Corps members operated in several theatres of war, including North Africa, Italy, India and the Far East. The FANY served the Finnish Government. A section was attached to the Polish Army, based mainly in Linlithgow where they provided the Poles with uniforms, weapons, vehicles, equipment, food, administration services and drivers’ services. Corps members also provided the guard of honour at the funeral of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, who had gone up to Scotland several times to inspect his troops. A Kenyan section, formed in 1931, which was made the official East African unit by the War Office in August 1941, was very active during the war. This section took women from all over the southern half of Africa. Other FANYs were attached to the British Red Cross, the American Ambulance Corps and the French Committee for the French Red Cross. In 1944 another large group were deployed to the Indian subcontinent and the Far East with South East Asia Command. Altogether over 6,000 FANYs served in the Second World War. 
  Maud MacLellan, a FANY who served with the ATS during the war, taught the future Queen Elizabeth to drive.
  A memorial at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge commemorates 52 named members who died on active service with the Corps in the First and Second World Wars, including 9 members who died when the SS Khedive Ismail was sunk by a Japanese submarine in 1944. FANYs are also commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial in Surrey.
caption: Nancy Wake in her FANY uniform
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