Emily Blair

Dame Emily Blair
Dame Emily Blair
Born	12 January 1890; Boghead, Lenzie, Scotland
Died	25 December 1963 (aged 73); London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army (1916–18); Royal Air Force (1918–43)
Years of service	1916–1943
Rank	Matron-in-Chief
Commands	Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (1938–43)
Battles / wars	World War I; World War II
Awards	Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Royal Red Cross; Mentioned in Despatches; Florence Nightingale Medal
Other work	Matron-in-Chief British Red Cross Society (1947–53)

Dame Emily Mathieson Blair, DBE, RRC (12 January 1890 – 25 December 1963) was a British military nurse and nursing administrator who served as Matron-in-Chief of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (1938–43), Joint War Committee (1943–47) and the British Red Cross Society (1947–53).^[1]

Early life

Emily Mathieson Blair was born on 12 January 1890 at Boghead, Lenzie, Kirkintilloch, the daughter of Mary Ann (née Croll) and Hugh Blair, a businessman and muslin manufacturer.^[2]^[3] From 1912 to 1916 she trained as a nurse at Western Infirmary, Glasgow.^[3]

Nursing career

During the First World War Blair served with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service.^[1] When the Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 she moved to the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service, becoming Matron-in-Chief in 1938. During the Second World War she was mentioned in despatches.^[1]

In 1943, Blair was appointed Matron-in-Chief of the Joint War Committee. When the committee was disbanded in 1947, Blair served as Matron-in-Chief of the British Red Cross Society until 1953, and was responsible for supplying trained nurses for service in hospitals and convalescent homes.^[1] She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 2 June 1943, and was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1947.^[3]

Later life

Blair retired in 1953 and remained a member of the Council of the British Red Cross until her death. She died of lung cancer on 25 December 1963 in a London nursing home.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Dame Emily Blair – Nursing the Forces". Obituaries. The Times. No. 55893. London. 27 December 1963. col E, p. 10.
^ "1890 BLAIR, EMILY MATHIESON (Statutory registers Births 498/ 25)". Scotland's People. National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Blair, Dame Emily Mathieson (1890–1963), nurse and nursing administrator". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51954. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Military offices
Preceded by Katherine Watt	Matron-in-Chief Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service 1938–1943	Succeeded by Gladys Taylor

[obit-1] "Dame Emily Blair – Nursing the Forces". Obituaries. The Times. No. 55893. London. 27 December 1963. col E, p. 10.

[people-2] "1890 BLAIR, EMILY MATHIESON (Statutory registers Births 498/ 25)". Scotland's People. National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon.

[:0-3] "Blair, Dame Emily Mathieson (1890–1963), nurse and nursing administrator". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51954. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

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