{"product_id":"greek-army-the-queen-frederica-nursing-school-cap-badge-1953-73","title":"Greek Army; The Queen Frederica nursing school cap badge. 1953-73","description":"\u003ch1 id=\"the-queen-frederica-nursing-school-cap-badge\" data-lfile-container=\"a7e5e345-5304-4a12-9700-3cc078e13bc9\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eThe Queen Frederica nursing school cap badge\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis gilt cap badge comes from the Greek Army's school for nurse officers, from the years it carried the name of Queen Frederica, the first school in Greece to train women as army officers, set up with British help after the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reading-the-badge\"\u003eReading the badge\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ ΦΡΕΔΕΡΙΚΗ\u003c\/strong\u003e on the scroll means \"Queen Frederica\".\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eΦ\u003c\/strong\u003e in the blue enamel centre is her initial.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eΣ.Α.Α.Ν.\u003c\/strong\u003e on the lower scroll most likely stands for Σχολή Αδελφών Αξιωματικών Νοσοκόμων, the School of Officer Nursing Sisters. We have not found a published source that spells out the abbreviation, so treat this as our reading.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe crown\u003c\/strong\u003e with red enamel marks it as a badge from Greece's royal era.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-lfile-container=\"a7e5e345-5304-4a12-9700-3cc078e13bc9\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eThe design is a cross set inside a laurel wreath, topped by the crown. The back has two slide fixings for wearing on a cap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-lfile-container=\"a7e5e345-5304-4a12-9700-3cc078e13bc9\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-school-built-after-the-war\"\u003eA school built after the war\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe school opened in Athens in 1946. The end of the Second World War showed the Greek army needed permanent military nurses, and this became the first nursing school in Greece for women officers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first 21 students started on 14 November 1946. That date is still celebrated as the school's founding day. Only women were admitted, and the course lasted three years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritain played a part. Officers of Queen Alexandra's nursing corps, serving with the British Military Mission, helped set up both the nursing corps and the school. When they left in early 1949, Lieutenant Colonel Cleopatra Avagianou, trained by the Hellenic Red Cross, took over as director.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-lfile-container=\"a7e5e345-5304-4a12-9700-3cc078e13bc9\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eThe school's first home was a building at the Petraki Monastery, run as an annex of the 401 General Military Hospital in Athens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ccolgroup\u003e \u003ccol\u003e \u003ccol\u003e \u003c\/colgroup\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYear\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eName of the school\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1989\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSchool of Nursing Officers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1971\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSchool of Military Officers Nursing Sisters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1953\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Queen Frederica\" School of Nursing Sisters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1946\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSchool of Nursing Sisters of the Army\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"queen-frederica-and-the-nurse-officers\"\u003eQueen Frederica and the nurse officers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 27 January 1951, the Greek government made Queen Frederica head of the nurse officers' corps. Two years later the school took her name, which is why it appears on this badge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 1954 decree went further. It gave the Queen, as honorary head of the corps, the rank of brigadier general. The corps' own director held the rank of lieutenant colonel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife as a nurse officer came with strict rules. A nurse officer could only marry five years after graduating, and only with the Ministry's approval. Having children was not allowed until 1970.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"service-in-korea\"\u003eService in Korea\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-lfile-container=\"a7e5e345-5304-4a12-9700-3cc078e13bc9\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eGreek expeditionary force in the Korean War. Greece sent an infantry battalion and an air transport squadron to the United Nations effort.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nurses worked in forward surgeries on the Korean front, in a harsh climate. Their work was recognised by the Allies with the Bronze Star, and the school counts it among the proudest chapters in its history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"dating-the-badge\"\u003eDating the badge\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Queen's name was added to the school in 1953, and the crown places the badge before the end of the Greek monarchy in 1973. That gives a likely window of 1953 to 1973.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe school carried on after the monarchy ended. Men were first admitted in 1990. Today the course runs for four years, with academic study at the University of Athens, and graduates join all three branches of the armed forces. Badges like this one, with the royal crown and the Queen's name, belong to a chapter of the school's story that has now closed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gradia Militaria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54426178617672,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0924\/1103\/5976\/files\/IMG-3022.heic?v=1793183603","url":"https:\/\/www.gradiamilitaria.com\/products\/greek-army-the-queen-frederica-nursing-school-cap-badge-1953-73","provider":"Gradia Militaria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}