Cynthia Cooke

Service: 1943 - 1976

Rate: Matron-in-Chief QARNNS

Cynthia joined the QARNNS in 1943 as a Registered General Nurse. During the Second World War, she worked at RNH Haslar and HMS Collingwood, the latter during D-Day preparations. After the war she served on HMS Formidable and was involved in collecting ex-POWs from Japanese prison camps. She later became a Nurse Tutor teaching at RNH's Plymouth, Hong Kong and Malta. From 1973 until her retirement in 1976 she was Matron-in-Chief QARNNS.

 

Cynthia recalls a frightening incident onboard HMS Queen.