Emily Blair
| Dame Emily Mathieson Blair DBE RRC FNM | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Emily Mathieson Blair 12 January c. 1890 Boghead, Lenzie, Kirkintilloch, Scotland |
| Died |
25 December 1963 (aged 72–73) London, England |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Military nurse |
| Known for | Matron-in-Chief at the British Red Cross Society |
| Awards | Florence Nightingale Medal |
Dame Emily Mathieson Blair DBE RRC FNM (12 January c. 1890 – 25 December 1963) was a Scottish nurse and Matron-in-Chief, serving in both Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service and the British Red Cross Society.[1]
Life and career
Born 12 January circa 1890 at Boghead, Lenzie, Kirkintilloch, daughter of Mary Ann (née Croll) and Hugh Blair, a business man and muslin manufacturer. From 1912 to 1916 she trained as a nurse at Western Infirmary, Glasgow.[2]
During the World War I Blair served with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service.[1] When the Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 she moved to the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service becoming Matron-in-Chief in 1938. During the World War II she was mentioned-in-dispatches.[1]
In 1943, she became Matron-in-Chief of the British Red Cross Society and was responsible supplying trained nurses for service in hospitals and convalescent homes.[1] On 2 June 1943 she was made a Dame of the British Empire (military division). In 1947 she was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal by the International Committee of the Red Cross.[2] Blair retired in 1953 and remained a member of the Council of the British Red Cross until her death.
She died of lung cancer on 25 December 1963 in a London nursing home.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Dame Emily Blair - Nursing the Forces". Obituaries. The Times (55893). London. 27 December 1963. col E, p. 10.
- 1 2 "Blair, Dame Emily Mathieson (1890–1963), nurse and nursing administrator - Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-51954.