Papers of Georgina Johnstone

This material is held atRoyal College of Nursing Archives

Scope and Content

This collection consists of the following items:

Photograph album belonging to Nurse Georgina Johnstone, including several photographs from her training and practice at the Northern Ireland Fever Hospital, Purdysburn; Southern General Hospital, Glasgow; Paignton District Hospital, South Devon; Putney Hospital, London. Most photographs have accompanying captions and remarks.

Memoir and various notes written by Johnstone in 2009, describing her training at Purdysburn Fever Hospital, Belfast, then at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. After qualifying in 1943, she took a post as Staff Nurse at the Royal Cancer Hospital in London. She joined the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps following the outbreak of the Korean War, and served at a military hospital in Kure, Japan. She describes the poor physical and mental condition of released prisoners of war. She was awarded three medals, which were donated to the National Army Museum. Following her return to Britain, she was invited to Jordan along with four other QUARANC nurses to establish a nurse training school within the Jordanian Arab Army by King Abdullah.

Photographs of Johnstone's QUARANC cape, with several regimental badges sewn into the lining, collected during her service. The cape was donated to the National War Museum, Chelsea and used as part of an exhibition about the Korean war in 2010.

Photographs of Johnstone's medals, printed on A4 non-photographic paper. Campaign medals, United Nations, Korean Active Service Medal.

Access Information

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact the RCN Archives in advance of their first visit.

Other Finding Aids

Most recent online Royal College of Nursing Archives Catalogue available at http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/library_and_heritage_services.

Conditions Governing Use

Royal College of Nursing