| FANY (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps) |
|
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry |
|
| Active | 1907- |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Independent |
| Type | Yeomanry |
| Role | Communications support |
| Size | One Regiment |
| Part of | 2 Signal Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | London |
| Commanders | |
| Commandant-in-Chief | HRH The Princess Royal |
The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps) ( FANY(PRVC)) is a British independent all-female unit and registered charity affiliated to, but not part of, the Territorial Army.
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Formation
It was formed as the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in 1907 as a first aid link between the field hospitals and the front lines, and was given the yeomanry title as all its members were originally mounted on horseback.
First World War
During the First World War, FANYs ran field hospitals, drove ambulances and set up soup kitchens and troop canteens, often under highly dangerous conditions. By the Armistice, they had been awarded many decorations for bravery, including 17 Military Medals, 1 Legion d'Honneur and 27 Croix de Guerre.[1]
Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Corps formed the nucleus of the Motor Driver Companies of the ATS. Another section was attached to the Polish Army, and a Kenyan unit formed in 1935 also joined the war effort. Some women also served with the FANY in the Special Operations Executive, working 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. Members operated in several theatres of war, including North Africa, Italy, India and the Far East.[2]
Thirty-nine of the female agents sent by SOE to France were commissioned into the Corps: twelve were captured by the Germans and died in concentration camps. Three of the FANY agents - (Odette Sansom, Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan), - were awarded the George Cross, the last two posthumously. Nancy Wake, another FANY agent, was awarded the George Medal.[3]
A memorial at St Paul's Church, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 8SH[4] commemorates 54 members of the Corps who gave their lives on active service with the Corps.
Post war
Today, the Corps provides response teams in support of the Civil and Military authorities within London during a major event or incident, as well as providing UK-wide assistance for civil and military planning and exercise roles. It is open to volunteers between the ages of 18 to 45 who reside or work near London (within the M25). Corps members are trained in radio communications, first aid skills, map reading, navigation and orienteering, shooting, self-defence and survival techniques, advanced driving and casualty bureau documentation. Their working dress is similar to that of the modern British Army; on formal occasions they wear a uniform similar to British Army Service Dress. They also have their own rank system.
The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was officially renamed the Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps in 1999 and is now referred to as FANY (PRVC). The original name has greater recognition, as well as greater prominence even in official publications and on its website.
The Corps celebrated its centenary in 2007.
Ranks of the Women's Transport Service (FANY) in World War II
Below is a chart of WTS/FANY ranks compared to the British Army.[5]
| Auxiliary Territorial Service rank | Equivalent Army rank |
| Driver | Private |
| Lance Corporal | Lance Corporal |
| Corporal | Corporal |
| Sergeant | Sergeant |
| Warrant Officer II | Warrant Officer II |
| Ensign | Second Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant | Lieutenant |
| Captain | Captain |
| Commander | Major |
| Staff Commander | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Commandant | Colonel |
Notes
- ^ http://www.fany.org.uk
- ^ http://www.fany.org.uk
- ^ http://www.fany.org.uk
- ^ St Paul's Church Memorial, Belgravia, London
- ^ D. Collett Wadge: "Women in Uniform", pages 360-361. Marston, (1946)
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
