Hello You, This Is Me - The Podcast of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry

In this – the final episode of the series - we meet Philippa Lorimer MBE who was the Commanding Officer from 2017 to 2022, having previously served in the Royal Corps of Signals followed by a career in the defence industry. Notably, she led the Corps during the COVID pandemic, when FANYs supported the Nightingale and Royal London Hospitals, two London Coroners and the City of London Police. We hop...

In this penultimate episode of the series, we meet Kim McCutcheon OBE who joined the Corps as the Commanding Officer in 2012, having served in the Intelligence Corps. Her tenure saw many changes and heralded FANY support to the London 2012 Olympics. In her last 3 months, during the terrible events of 2017, the Corps deployed operationally 5 times in 3 months. We hope you enjoy listening to this co...

In this 5th episode, we meet Mo Shannon who was the Deputy Corps Commander in 2016 when, unexpectedly she was asked to become the interim Commanding Officer on the sudden illness of the then CO, Annie Cockram CBE, who tragically later died of her illness. Mo was formerly in the Territorial Army (now known as the Reserves) and was thus well-placed to do the job - however she was also working full t...

In this 4th episode, we meet Lynda Rose MBE who took over command of the FANY in 1997.  She served for an eventful 10 years which incorporated two office moves, several operational deployments (including the terrible 7/7 bombings – the 20th anniversary of which has just been commemorated) – and of course her finale – celebrations to mark the FANY’s centenary.  One of the things that came across lo...

In this 3rd episode, we meet the first of our (surviving) Commanding Officers, Anna Whitehead OBE, who became the CO in 1990.  The daughter of an Army Officer, Col Leonard Dismore, who had served with the SOE in WW2, and the wife of a naval officer, David Whitehead, Anna served as CO until 1997. She hit the ground running: within her first year the Corps deployed to provide support during the 1991...

Episode Notes  In this second episode, we meet Joyce Wilding who, in 1943 aged just 18, volunteered to join the FANY and almost immediately became a member of the SOE – Special Operations Executive. Her recollections of the time she served in WW2 – along with her energy - are extraordinary – particularly for someone who is now aged 102.  She said that VE Day was one of the best days of her life –...

What motivates someone to join the UK’s only all-female charity serving the nation? Would you volunteer your time to provide support to those in need, often in the most testing circumstances? Could you do all of this alongside your regular full-time job?   The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps) – known as the FANY – has 150 members who all volunteer their time to help ot...