Health and Medicine

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Florence Nightingale: The Lady with the Lamp

Florence Nightingale was a legend in her own lifetime and one of the most famous women in British history.

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Chantelle Taylor during an oral history recording, 2016

In Their Own Words: Staff Sergeant Chantelle Taylor

Chantelle Taylor served as a combat medic during the recent conflict in Afghanistan. In 2008, while on patrol in Helmand Province, she became the first female British soldier to kill an enemy combatant at close quarters.

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Gunner of the Royal Artillery at a Covid mobile testing unit, West Midlands Safari Park, June 2020

Recording the Army’s Covid response

British Army personnel have made a significant contribution to the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the National Army Museum initiated a contemporary collecting project to record their efforts.

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Royal Army Medical Corps

Formed in 1898, but within origins dating back to the 1660s, this specialist corps is responsible for maintaining the health of servicemen and women in the British Army. It is the largest corps in the Army Medical Services (AMS).

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Royal Army Chaplains’ Department

Formed in 1796, this corps provides religious and pastoral support to soldiers. Its officers, all ordained priests, have taken part in most British Army deployments.

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Medical staff at Camp Bastion in Helmand, c2008

Army medics in Afghanistan

During the war in Afghanistan, Army medics at Camp Bastion Hospital treated thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians. Medical staff also provided vital support during patrols and combat operations.

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Disinfecting plague houses with a flushing engine, 1897

The Bombay plague

In 1896, bubonic plague broke out in Bombay. The fightback against this deadly epidemic was fully documented by a British military officer in a remarkable series of photographs.

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Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

This medical unit provides nursing services to British Army soldiers. Although formed in 1902, it traces its origins back to Florence Nightingale's pioneering nursing work during the Crimean War.

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Other ranks' cap badge, Royal Army Veterinary Corps, c1965

The Royal Army Veterinary Corps

This corps is responsible for the provision, training and care of animals in the British Army. With origins dating back to the 1790s, it has served in many campaigns, including the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Royal Army Dental Corps

Formed in 1921, the Royal Army Dental Corps has taken care of the British Army’s dental health for a century, whether in barracks or on active operations.

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Turkish prisoners after General Brooking's victory at Ramadi, September 1917

Mesopotamia campaign

During 1914-18, British troops fought the Turks in Mesopotamia. After many setbacks, they finally took Baghdad in March 1917. This marked the high point of a long and tragic campaign fought in a harsh climate.

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The art of staying alive: McNab's survival kit

An SAS soldier's personal survival kit contains many everyday objects. These can be used in ingenious ways, demonstrating both the adaptability and the resourcefulness of the Special Forces.

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Reaction to shellfish saves soldiers’ lives

For a force that fights on land, the British Army has benefitted from some surprisingly aquatic assistance. Here, we explore some of the ways that fish have been used to help solve technological problems and save lives.

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Florence Nightingale tending to wounded soldiers at Scutari Hospital

Primary (virtual)

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Florence and Mary (virtual)

Discover the historic contributions of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and why they have been remembered (or not) over time.

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School students getting to grips with the handling collection

Secondary workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment

Explore artefacts and sources on the causes and treatment of injuries and illnesses on the Western Front during the First World War, and assess the impact of these innovations.

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School children taking part in a Crimean War workshop

Primary workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Florence and Mary

Discover the historic contributions of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and why they have been remembered (or not) over time.

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A British medical orderly treats a wounded German soldier, c1916

Secondary (virtual)

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment (virtual)

Explore artefacts and sources on the causes and treatment of injuries and illnesses on the Western Front during the First World War, and assess the impact of these innovations.

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SEND workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Florence and Mary (SEND)

Find out about the work of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and how they helped the soldiers in the Crimea.

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Family attending a Tiny Troopers workshop

Cancelled

Workshop At Museum

18 September 2024

£5.00

Tiny Troopers: Assault Course

Sing, play and create with your little ones at these fun, sensory sessions, perfect for ages 2 to 5.

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Leading Aircraftwoman Pearl Bradburn recording details of casualties before take-off from Bazenville, Normandy, 1944

Talk At Museum / Online

20 September 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

Getting Them Home: The Flying Nightingales

Dr Emily Mayhew tells the remarkable story of the Flying Nightingales, a group of nurses who flew across the Channel to help evacuate injured soldiers from the beaches of Normandy.

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