St. John Ambulance Brigade, Enrolment of Nursing Cadets, Stafford

Move your pointing device over the image to zoom to detail. If using a mouse click on the image to toggle zoom.
When in zoom mode use + or - keys to adjust level of image zoom.

Date:9th of November 1952

Description:Cadets from Stafford, Cannock and Willenhall look on as Shelagh Woolcock, a member of the Stafford Odeon Nursing Cadet Division of the St John Ambulance Brigade, receives her certificate of enrolment from the County Nursing Cadet Officer, Mrs J M Porter, at the county town’s first enrolment ceremony at the Oddfellows’ Hall on Sunday 9 November. Also in the central group left to right are: Captain F L Richard, County Commissioner, Mr F G Porter, Area Commissioner, the Deputy Mayor of Stafford, Alderman L Dobson and Mr V Chancellor, County Secretary. The County Ambulance Cadet Officer, Dr Allan Walker is to the right of the group.

A solemn promise “like the Knights of St. John, to be loyal to my sovereign, true to my honour, and faithful to the Order” was made by over 100 cadets of the St. John Ambulance Brigade during the enrolment ceremony. Cadets from the Stafford Headquarters and Odeon Divisions, Cannock and Willenhall, took part, watched by a large assembly of parents. Many young people could realise their dreams by becoming members of the Order of St. John, the cadets were told by their Chaplain, the Archdeacon of Stafford, the Ven. W A Parker. He added that the cadets who made their promise that afternoon were having a tremendous chance to see their dreams come true. They had been enrolled in one of the ancient orders of Chivalry. The Order of St. John of Jerusalem was a great one. It had for its patron the Queen, and many of the greatest people in the land were proud to be Knights of the Order. It was a very old Order, having been founded some 1000 years ago at the time of the Crusades.

Deputising for the Mayor of Stafford, Alderman L Dobson, Deputy Mayor, said that members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade were men and women with a sound training in first aid and home nursing, who were willing in their spare time, to perform voluntary duty wherever they were needed. Their strength in Staffordshire was over 2000. He urged parents of the cadets to urge other parents to let their children become cadets of the Brigade. In doing so they could do much to lessen what was popularly termed “juvenile delinquency”.

Certificates to the cadets were presented by Dr Allan Walker, County Ambulance Cadet Officer, and Mrs J M Porter, County Nursing Cadet Officer. The ceremony was presided over by the County Commissioner, Captain F L Richard. An appeal for more Parents’ Associations to be formed by Staffordshire parents was made by Dr Walker, who said that the brigade could be greatly assisted financially by Parents Associations.

Cadets who were enrolled during the ceremony were as follows:
Stafford Headquarters Nursing Cadet Division: Marjorie Clarke, Margaret Colbourne, Jean Cook, Pauline Doughty, Ruth Eardley, Janet Godwin, June McConnell, Miriam McGrath, Jean Maidment, Margaret Nield, Dorothy Owen, Mary Reader, Julie Sanderson, Doris Scott, Joan Scott, Pauline Shorter and Joy Tilstone.

Stafford Odeon Ambulance Division: Peter Albert Allsop, Kenneth Charles Barlow, Peter John Bennion, John Michael George, John Anthony Jones, Maurice Henry Roden, Donald Albert Smith, Paul Neville Smith, Kenneth Ernest Wilde and Dennis Williams.

Stafford Odeon Nursing Cadet Division: Barbara Buckingham, Monica Ann Buckingham, Dorothy Ann Crocket, Rose Dale, Ann Davies, Ruth Ena Davies, Dorothy Gwendoline Denning, Dorothy Dix, Sheila Helen Evans, Verona Florence Evans, Jean Ann Gimbert, Ann Muriel Johnson, Patricia Maureen Kavanagh, Iris Meredith, Sylvia Joan Meyrick, Patricia Ann Piper, Cynthia Joan Ann Podmore, Shirley Pontefract, Joy Scarlett, Joan Rosemary Sheppard, Rita Ann Simpson, Sheila Mary Simpson, Sylvia Watson and Shelagh Marion Woolcock.

Cannock Ambulance Cadet Division: Kenneth Bates, John Bentley, Melvyn Billings, Lawrence Brandrick, Michael Cooper, Anthony Deakin, Brian Jones, Barry Knowles, Allan Lowe, Cedric Pee, Herbert Shaw, Edwin Timmins, Malcolm Walker and James Whitehouse.

Cannock Nursing Cadet Division: Christine Mary Bladen, Eleanor Ann Bowker, Norma Ann Brooks, Ann Margaret Doughty, Marlene Ann Crabtree, Valerie June Fellows, Carol Elizabeth Goodwin, Maureen Harrison, Lucy Anna Hemmingsley, Sylvia Horton, Barbara Ellen Onions, Rosemary Jacqueline Onions, Brenda Price, Hazel Joan Ann Simms, Sylvia Dorothy Simms, Kathleen Jessie Smallman, Evelyn Rose Stevens, Lillian Mary Stevens, Margaret Anne Tabenor, Iris Lavinia Walker, Muriel Pathenea Walker and Hazel Marlene Wright.

Willenhall Nursing Cadet Division: Norma Baddams, Elaine Baugh, June Evans, Roma Everitt, Margaret Harris, Mary Hearn, Sheila Jones, June Riggs and Valerie Webster.

Juniors, Stafford Odeon Ambulance Cadet Division: Malcolm Kenneth Newberry. Stafford Odeon Nursing Cadet Division: Barbara Baildon, Janet Bird, Pauline Mary Chancellor, Jean Simpson, Jeanne Smallshaw and Janet Williams.

This photograph was published in the Staffordshire Newsletter on Saturday 15 November 1952. Reproduced by kind permission of the Staffordshire Newsletter who retain copyright.

Share:


Creators: Staffordshire Newsletter - Creator

Donor ref:D4527-B8-NN-1128 (201/45588)

Source: Staffordshire County Record Office

Copyright information: Copyrights to all resources are retained by the individual rights holders. They have kindly made their collections available for non-commercial private study & educational use. Re-distribution of resources in any form is only permitted subject to strict adherence to the usage guidelines.