Gertrude Mary Richards (16 September 1864 – 18 September 1944) was a British nurse and military nursing leader during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. She was

matron Matron is the job title of a very senior or the chief nurse in a hospital in several countries, including the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries and former colonies. Etymology The chief nurse, in other words the person in charge ...

and principal matron in the

Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC; known as ''the QAs'') was the nursing branch of the British Army Medical Services. In November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Army Dental Corps ...

from 1904 until her retirement in 1919.Rogers, Sarah (2022). ''A Maker of Matrons’? A study of Eva Lückes's influence on a generation of nurse leaders:1880–1919'' (Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield, April 2022Gertrude Mary Richards, British Army Nurses’ Service Records 1914–1918; WO399/6988; The National Archives, Kew

Early life

Richards was born in Nottingham on 16 September 1864, and was one of at least six children born to her parents William, a solicitor and mother Harriette.

Nursing career

Richards lived at home until she undertook nurse training at

The London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and Tower Hamlets and spe ...

between 1891 and 1893, under

Eva Luckes Eva Charlotte Ellis Luckes (8 July 1854 – 16 February 1919) was matron of the London Hospital from 1880 to 1919. Early life Eva Charlotte Ellis Luckes (she spelled her name Lückes with the umlaut until World War I)Rogers, Sarah (2022). ...

.Gertrude Mary Richards, Register of Sisters and Nurses; RLHLH/N/4/1, 141; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, LondonGertrude Mary Richards, Register of Probationers; RLHLH/N/1/3, 240; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London Richards remained there as a sister until she became

Moorfields Hospital Moorfields Eye Hospital is a specialist National Health Service (NHS) eye hospital in Finsbury in the London Borough of Islington in London, England run by Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Together with the UCL Institute of Ophthalm ...

in 1899.Rogers, Sarah (2022). 'A Maker of Matrons'? A study of Eva Lückes's influence on a generation of nurse leaders:1880–1919' (Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield, April 2022) In 1904 she was appointed as matron in the

, and her first posting was to the Royal Herbert Military Hospital in

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

. In 1917 Richards became principal matron in the War Office, until her retirement in 1919. She was one of twenty-seven military matrons who served in the First World War and who trained under Eva Luckes, including

Sarah Oram Dame Sarah Elizabeth Oram, (26 December 1860 – 26 June 1946) was a senior member of the Army Nursing Service and the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS). She served as Principal Matron, Nursing Inspector in the QAIMNS ...

Maud McCarthy Dame Emma Maud McCarthy, (22 September 1859 – 1 April 1949) was a nursing sister and British Army matron-in-chief. Early life McCarthy was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the eldest child of William Frederick McCarthy, a solicito ...

and Ethel Becher.

Honours

Richards was awarded the

Royal Red Cross The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. It was created in 1883, and the first two awards were to Florence Nightingale and Jane Cecilia Deeb ...

in July 1915 and appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

by 1941.

Personal life

After her retirement in 1919, Richards moved back to Nottinghamshire and in 1939 was living with her younger sister, Lily, in West Bridgford. Richards died on 18 September 1944, and left her estate to her sister Lily.Richards Gertrude Mary, died 18 September 1944, Probate granted 17 February 1945; Probate Search Service vailable at: https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk /ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards Gertrude Mary 1864 births 1944 deaths British Army personnel of World War I British nurses Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Royal Red Cross