Australian Army Nursing Service

The Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) was an Australian Army Reserve unit which provided a pool of trained civilian nurses who had volunteered for military service during wartime. The AANS was formed in 1902 by amalgamating the nursing services of the colonial-era militaries, and formed part of the Australian Army Medical Corps.

World War I
During World War I, 2861 women joined the AANS AIF for overseas service. To enlist, women had to be between 25 and 40, unmarried and needed to be educated with a minimum of a 3 year qualification. The AANS deployed nurses to many countries such as Belgium, Egypt, England France, Greece and India. They worked in a variety of settings, such as in the Allied hospitals behind the front line, and in Casualty Clearing Stations, which were up close to the front line, as well as on hospital transports such as ships, trains, and barges. Hundreds more served in the AANS AMF on home service in Australia. After WWI, the AANS reverted to a Reserve.

World War II
The AANS was mobilised again during World War II, and many of its members served overseas. By this time, the Australian Imperial Forces had developed additional women's army auxillary services in addition to the AANS: The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force; The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service; and the Australian Women's Army Service. Additionally new nursing services were also created, including the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service and the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service, as well as the Australian Army Medical Women's Service which provided nursing assistance to the army nurses. With all these opportunities nearly 36,000 women enlisted during World War II, and of those, 3,500 served in the AANS, in general hospitals and clearing stations. The women in the AANS had the most casualties of all the auxiliary services, with 72 deaths. These were due to the ships they were on being torpedoed, or dying as prisoners of war.

Following the war several AANS nurses were posted to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

Post World War II
The service was renamed the Royal Australian Army Nursing Service (RAANS) in November 1948 and became part of the regular Army the next year. In 1951 the RAANS achieved corps status, and became the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.