I’m currently researching the work of medical women on the home front during the Second World War, and want to share a story that I’ve come across (1/6) #MedTwitter #histmed #phdchat

Alison Jean McNairn (1912-1999) graduated from the LSMW in 1936. In 1941, she was working at the City General Hospital, Plymouth, as assistant medical officer in charge of the maternity and children’s wards (photo: the children’s ward in December 1941) (2/6)

Plymouth was heavily bombed in 1941, and on the 20th March the hospital received a direct hit, with the children’s and maternity wards receiving the full force of the blast. McNairn was buried in rubble up to her neck, but refused treatment for her injuries. (3/6)

McNairn carried out the grim task of assessing which patients (mostly children) had survived, and carried them to the adjoining wards. She then continued to assist women giving birth, and triaged patients brought in from other hospitals. She remained on duty for 22 hours (4/6)

In total, 6 nurses, 19 babies, and one mother died in the blast. McNairn was awarded with the George medal for her bravery in November 1941. For the remaining years of the War, she served with the RAMC at an ATS camp in Yorkshire. (5/6)

In 2006, McNairns’ medals were sold at auction for £5,200, along with a cassette recording of her wartime experiences. The recording has sadly not made its way into a public archive, so her experiences remain, for the moment, unheard (6/6)