Badge Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) PMRAFNS Medical Branch (Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service)

Under the Defence (Women’s Forces) Regulations of 1941 emergency commissions were granted. PMs wear rank but are addressed by professional titles; e.g., Matron, Sister etc. Married PMs were allowed to stay, for the duration of the War, in the PMRAFNS. Strength in 1943 was 1,126 Sisters staffing 31 RAF Hospitals and 71 Station Sick Quarters. 300,000 casevacs were carried out after D-Day, the largest ever carried out in the history of the Service. The Womens’ Service was integrated into the RAF on 1 February 1949. PMs held commissions and wore female officer badges of rank, but continued to use professional titles in the clinical environment.