SA Military Nursing Service

[loupie1961]

A great find: an Epaulette of a Probationer Nurse that has been embellished by a SAMS badge (I guess is a collar badge) and an Africa Service medal ribbon. On the inside the nurse's name, "Florence" "Italy" and "1945". Any chance to research the original owner? All the very best, L.

[Brian Conyngham]

Loupie

If you can decipher the ladies signature then maybe there is a chance to pull her records from the SA Military Archives in Pretoria.

Brian

[hancorn]

Hi Loupie

Send me a PM and i will see what we can do to get her record for you

Mark

[loupie1961]

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Loupie

If you can decipher the ladies signature then maybe there is a chance to pull her records from the SA Military Archives in Pretoria.

Brian

Hello Brian, I am afraid I can't really tell whether is Kar. Tafamoo, or Tapwoo or Tafewoo, sure does not like an European family name though... here's a more detailed picture of the signature

[loupie1961]

Another epaulette badged to a SAMNS Nursing Sister: pips have got a red cloth backing, therefore British made?

[loupie1961]

A white metal SAMNS cap badge, or maybe a collar one? The pin is quite of the type you find in sweetheart badges, the caption reads SA(M)NS, therefore of a somewhat earlier vintage than the bronze one? Thank you in advance for your advise, gentlemen!

[Milmed]

Originally Posted by loupie1961

Hello Brian, I am afraid I can't really tell whether is Kar. Tafamoo, or Tapwoo or Tafewoo, sure does not like an European family name though... here's a more detailed picture of the signature

Hi Loupie,
The name looks a bit like Tapinos or Tapmos, neither of which are typical South African surnames. Tapmos comes up on google as an Italian word. Tapinos is Greek in origin and there are Greek families in the Transvaal with this surname, so she may have been of Greek decent.

If you do get her service record, please share with all of us.

Regards
Steven

[Milmed]

Originally Posted by loupie1961

Another epaulette badged to a SAMNS Nursing Sister: pips have got a red cloth backing, therefore British made?

Loupie,
These sisters epaulette was probably done in the field with a promotion and she used whatever was at hand. I doubt they would have been British made.

Steven

[Milmed]

Originally Posted by loupie1961

A white metal SAMNS cap badge, or maybe a collar one? The pin is quite of the type you find in sweetheart badges, the caption reads SA(M)NS, therefore of a somewhat earlier vintage than the bronze one? Thank you in advance for your advise, gentlemen!

Loupie,
The SAMNS pin badge is an early cap badge (c.1940) produced locally with the expansion of the SAMNS. This was worn on the brown felt 'porkpie' hat. The (M) is simply part of the design where the ( ) are the top of the Springboks antlers. The other badge you have attached to the epaulette if an Egyptian cast cap badge. This probaly also has a pin attachement and may be hallmarked Egyptian silver.

The SAMNS standard white metal badge was adopted c.1944 These came as a cap badge with brooch pin and facing collars with lugs. A similar set in gilt is also available, but was only adopted c.1951 when the SAMNS was made part of the Permanent Force.

Steven

[loupie1961]

Originally Posted by Milmed

Loupie,
The SAMNS pin badge is an early cap badge (c.1940) produced locally with the expansion of the SAMNS. This was worn on the brown felt 'porkpie' hat. The (M) is simply part of the design where the ( ) are the top of the Springboks antlers. The other badge you have attached to the epaulette if an Egyptian cast cap badge. This probaly also has a pin attachement and may be hallmarked Egyptian silver.

The SAMNS standard white metal badge was adopted c.1944 These came as a cap badge with brooch pin and facing collars with lugs. A similar set in gilt is also available, but was only adopted c.1951 when the SAMNS was made part of the Permanent Force.

Steven

Hello Steven,

thank you so much for your explanations, really first class! Mind that I have not added anything to the epaulette, it has come exactly so, with the Africa Service Medal ribbon and SAMNS badge. I do not know whether the SMANS badge is really cast, ti looks a little bit to crisp and neat to be cast... it has got lugs, though, so it could be a collar badge? Dimensions are exactly the same as the WM cap badge...

[Milmed]

Are you able to send a picture of the reverse of the badge. This is the exact pattern of badge that was made in Egypt and these were usually cast and well made as they were for officers (and ladies).
The collars and cap badges were always the same size. With lugs it may well be a collar but not the standard post 1944 british made nickel badge.

The initials of your nurse may be KM (so the name may be K.M Tapinos). The reference to Florence may be to #107 SA General Hospital set up in Florence.

Regards
Steven

[milhistry]

Very interesting to read about the various SAMNS badges. Bit of a neglected subject I think.

I was fortunate to pick up this outfit at auction a few months ago. I'd only seen one of these before (in a museum) so decided I had to bid on it. Nobody else was interested (or knew what it was) so I got to add to the collection.

It's named to a Staff Nurse but the pips indicate Nursing Sister.

Perhaps you can provide me with the correct description for this order of dress? Unfortunately there was no hat with it. What would have been the appropriate headdress? The one I saw in the museum a few years ago had I think a ruby coloured felt hat but I'm not sure if that's correct.

I find the cloth covered buttons rather interesting.

[Milmed]

Hi Milhistory,
Nice nursing sister (captain) uniform you have, they dont come by that often and are mostly mis-identified when they come to market. I have 4 of these to various ranks from probationer to matron.

The outdoor or service dress consisted of a khaki gabardine tunic with 2 large hip pockets, a khaki belt and a khaki gabardine straight cut skirt with inverted pleat in front. A tussore coloured shirt and brown poplin tie was worn with the tunic. Accessories consisted of a brown felt porkpie hat with silver badge, brown leather sling-bag, brown stockings and brown lace-up shoes. This uniform was worn mostly by trained staff (i.e. nursing sisters and staff nurses). It was a private purchase item, individually tailored and a requirement for overseas service. So probationer nurses (or VAD's) who served overseas also required this uniform. c.1944 white metal collar badge were added to the uniform. This uniform was worn until 1965, when replaced with the two tone Jacket and skirt similar to male members of the SADF.

Outdoor uniform back in the union was mostly khaki drill bushjacket and khaki drill skirt.

The original group of nurses sent to Kenya were also issued with khaki covered cork pith helmets worn without any insignia.

During winter in Italy nurses were issued with battledress jackets and trousers and steel helmets.

Indoor or working dress consisted of a double breasted, long sleeved white cotton drill frock with high collar. Trained staff wore with the standard sister’s 36-inch square organdie veil and the probationers wore a VAD type veil folded into the back of the neck.

Your staff nurse may have been promoted in the field to a nursing sister. Are you able to share her name and any details regarding her service. I am compiling a database of all the SAMNS nurses service from WWI to 1972 when they were disbanded.

The tie you have with the uniform appears to be the standard army issue khaki tie, but maybe the photo is playing tricks on my vision. The usual colour was a dark brown poplin tie which matched the dark brown felt hat, leather bag and shoes.


Steven

[Frank Kelley]

That looks a little rough to quite honest, but, I would think the rank pips themselves were certainly British made, you have been buying some really lovely stuff, it makes me think that I should start looking beyond 1918 myself, very nice indeed!

Originally Posted by loupie1961

Another epaulette badged to a SAMNS Nursing Sister: pips have got a red cloth backing, therefore British made?

[milhistry]

Originally Posted by Milmed

Hi Milhistory,
... A tussore coloured shirt and brown poplin tie was worn with the tunic. Accessories consisted of a brown felt porkpie hat with silver badge, brown leather sling-bag, brown stockings and brown lace-up shoes. ...

Your staff nurse may have been promoted in the field to a nursing sister. Are you able to share her name and any details regarding her service. I am compiling a database of all the SAMNS nurses service from WWI to 1972 when they were disbanded.

The tie you have with the uniform appears to be the standard army issue khaki tie, but maybe the photo is playing tricks on my vision. The usual colour was a dark brown poplin tie which matched the dark brown felt hat, leather bag and shoes.


Steven

Thanks for that. All the photographs I've seen of the SA Nurses have been in black and white, so that's quite helpful.

The uniform that I picked up consisted of the jacket and skirt only. I added a khaki shirt and an old SA Army drab tie to make it look a bit more presentable.

I thought the ruby hat I saw in the museum may have been a later issue SAMC/SAMS hat rather than the correct period item.

You don't perhaps have colour photos of the correct hat and tie?

More than happy to share the info I have. On the jacket it says
"S/N C Hescock 23495 January 1945".