Open AccessWith the establishment of the Union Defence Force, provision was made for a nursing unit. Initially this merely took the form of a voluntary auxiliary detachment, but after the South West African campaign a pennanent unit, the South African Military Nursing Service, was established. This unit gave good account of itself serving both in Europe and elsewhere.
With the conclusion of World War I, the unit, being specifically a wartime organisation, was nearly completely demobilised. During the 1920's however it was realised that should a war break out the Service would be in no position to provide the necessary nursing personnel. The Service was consequently reorganised, though this reorganisation did not come up to expectations for with the outbreak of World War II it was still not up to strength. In spite of this, however, the matron-in-chief managed to provide the requisite nursing personnel. In the aftermath of war, she has expressed her full satisfaction with the way in which the women have acquitted themselves, saying that South African nurses did not fall short of the ideals for which the nursing services of the world stand.