Helen Gillespie
| Brigadier Dame Helen Gillespie RRC QHNS | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Helen Shiels Gillespie |
| Born |
26 March 1898 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 25 August 1974 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance |
 |
| Years of service | 1927-1961 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Commands held | Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Brigadier Dame Helen Shiels Gillespie DBE RRC QHNS (26 March 1898 – 25 August 1974) was a decorated Scottish nursing matron during World War II, and Honorary Nursing Sister to the Queen.
Biography
Gillespie was born in Edinburgh on 26 March 1898 to Isabella (née Dunlop) and John Gillespie. She attended George Watson's Ladies' College before going on to study nursing at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow from 1921 to 1925.[1]
In 1926 she joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service and served in India from 1927 to 1932, and again from 1934 to 1939. During World War II she served in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. After the war she worked in the War Office and the British Army on the Rhine.[1]
From 1952 until her retirement on 31 July 1956 on completion of her term, Gillespie served as Matron-in-Chief of Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QAIMNS/QARANC). She was appointed Honorary Nursing Sister to the Queen on 25 June 1952, succeeding Anne Thomson.[2]
Honours
In 1947 she received the Royal Red Cross, and in 1954 was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
References
- 1 2 "Gillespie, Brig. Dame Helen (Shiels), (26 March 1898–25 Aug. 1974), QARANC (retired)", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 2007-12-01, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u154820, retrieved 2018-07-15
- ↑ Profile, gazettes-online.co.uk; accessed 1 January 2017.
External links