First Aid Nursing Yeomanry - Second World War

Second World War

In September 1938, the FANY Corps was asked to form the initial Motor Driver Companies of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, called the Women's Transport Service.

A small, secret and famous part of FANY served as a parent unit for many women who undertook espionage work for the Special Operations Executive. Recruits were trained in one of four fields: Motor Transport, Wireless Telegraphy, Codes or General. They worked on coding and signals, acting as conductors for agents and providing administration and technical support for the Special Training Schools. Their work was top secret and often highly skilled. Members operated in several theatres of war, including North Africa, Italy, India and the Far East.

Thirty-nine of the agents sent by SOE to France were commissioned into the Corps: twelve were captured by the Germans and died in concentration camps. Many decorations, of both the UK and other countries, were awarded for their service and outstanding courage. Among these, four of the highest UK decorations were the George Cross awarded to Odette Sansom (survived the war and her own incarceration and torture), to Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan (both perished in captivity, therefore they were decorated posthumously). Nancy Wake's awards included the George Medal.

Elsewhere abroad, FANY agents served the Finnish Government; a section was attached to the Polish Army; and a Kenyan section, formed in 1935, was made the official East African unit by the War Office in August 1941, and was very active during the war. This section took women from all over the southern half of Africa.

A memorial at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge commemorates 52 named members who gave their lives on active service with the Corps in this war.