Dame Helen Cargill
| |
|---|---|
| Born | (1896-10-01)1 October 1896 |
| Died | 4 December 1969(1969-12-04) (aged 73) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1923–1952 |
| Rank | Air Commandant |
| Commands held | Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (1948–52) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire Royal Red Cross Commander of the Order of St John |
Air Commandant Dame Helen Wilson Cargill, DBE, RRC (1 October 1896 – 4 December 1969) was a British nurse and Royal Air force officer. From 1948 to 1952, she was Matron-in-Chief of Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service.[1]
Cargill was born on 1 October 1896, the daughter of William Cargill and his wife, Jane Elizabeth Murphy. They lived at 11 Cluny Avenue in Morningside, Edinburgh.[2] She was educated at St Bride's School, Edinburgh. From 1919 to 1923, she trained as a nurse at St George's Hospital, a teaching hospital in London.[1]
In June 1923, Cargill joined the newly re-named Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service.[3] She was promoted to sister on 1 July 1926,[4] and to senior sister on 1 February 1939.[5] During the interwar period, she served in the United Kingdom and in the Middle East.[3]
Cargill saw active service during the Second World War.[3] She was an acting matron as of June 1941.[6] In the 1941 King's Birthday Honours, Cargill was appointed an Associate of the Royal Red Cross.[6] From 1942 to 1944, she served in the United Kingdom and in Aden.[3] Following the Normandy Landings, she was matron of the RAF Hospital in Normandy, France.[3] From September 1944 to May 1945, the end of the war in Europe, she was matron of a hospital in Brussels, Belgium.[3] In the 1945 King's Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Member of the Royal Red Cross.[7]
Cargill returned to the United Kingdom after the end of the war and spent the rest of her military career as matron of the RAF Hospital in Matlock, Derbyshire.[3] This was a psychiatric hospital that specialised in the treatment of former prisoners of war.[3] On 16 July 1948, she was appointed the Matron-in-Chief of Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service.[1][8] On 1 February 1949, when the women's forces were integrated into the British Armed Forces, she was granted the rank of air commandant.[9] She was appointed a Commander of the Order of St John (CStJ) in June 1949,[10] and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1951 New Year Honours.[11]
Cargill retired from the military due to "medical unfitness for air force service" on 12 May 1952.[1][3][12]
Cargill died on 4 December 1969, aged 73. She was buried with her parents in Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh, close to their family home. The toppled gravestone lies in the south-west section.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Matron-in-Chief Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service 1948–1952 |
Succeeded by |
