WWII FANY UNIFORM

The 'First Aid Nursing Yeomanry' - pronounced Fanny, is a British independent all-female unit and registered charity affiliated to, but not part of, the Territorial Army.

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.

In the Second World War, the F.A.N.Y. was formed into the initial driver companies of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, called the Women's Transport Service, and it also served as a parent unit for many women who undertook espionage work for the Special Operations Executive. Three of these (Odette Sansom, Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan), were awarded the George Cross and Nancy Wake the George Medal for their service.

Since the end of the war, the corps has specialised in communications for the Army and the City of London Police and 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, paramedical skills, map reading, navigation and orienteering, shooting, self-defence and survival techniques, advanced driving and casualty bureau documentation. On formal occasions they still wear a uniform similar to that worn by the Auxiliary Territorial Service in the Second World War (although their working dress is similar to that of the modern British Army). They also have their own rank system.

The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was officially renamed the Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps in 1999. But the original name has greater recognition.

Your comments:

• I would love to see Andrew Rowdens photo of his Mother and 5 FANY WT in case our Mother is in it.
  .......... Gavin Howard, Warminster UK, 13th of December 2019
  
  
• I recently discovered that my Mother was in the FANY as a W/T operator. I have just received her service record from FANY headquarters and I believe that she was at Grendon Hall with the SOE.
  I have a lovely photo of five FANYs, including my Mum.
  .......... Andrew Rowden, Sturminster Newton, 24th of April 2016
  
  
• My mother,Frances Dingley as was,was an ambulance driver in Aldershot and she told us that the shoes she was issued with when she was a fanny were the most comfortable she had ever worn.
  .......... Jill mahon, Solihull, 29th of August 2012
  
  
• I have a good picture of a group of FANY taken at grendon hall ww2 which shows clearly the uniform. several of these girls I remember well, I was a male wireless op there
  .......... John Hunt, brighton. england, 7th of July 2011
  
  
• I was a FANY Wireless operator. This uniform is almost correct, the shoulder flashes were not worn by us.I trained in morse code at Fawley Court Henly on Thames and Bellhaven Hill Dunbar. I served at Station 53A - Grendon underwood - Bucks, Station 53C Signal Hill - Bucks. I served 1943 - 1946.
  .......... Gwyneth Howard (Nee Gryffydh- Jones)., Westbury Wiltshire, 17th of June 2009
  
  

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