Edna Nell Doig
{{short description|Australian army matron-in-chief (1915–1988)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Edna Doig
| image = Edna Doig (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Doig in 1969
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|06|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = West End, Queensland
| death_date = {{Death date and age |1988|11|24|1915|06|21|df=y}}
| death_place = Manly, Queensland
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = Australia
| branch = Australian Army
| serviceyears = 1939–1949
1951–1970
| rank = Matron-in-Chief
| servicenumber =
| unit =
| commands = Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (1961–70)
| battles = Second World War
Occupation of Japan
| awards = Royal Red Cross
Florence Nightingale Medal
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Edna Nell Doig, {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|RRC}} (21 June 1915 – 24 November 1988) was an Australian army matron-in-chief.
Early life
Doig was born on 21 June 1915 at West End, Queensland. She won a scholarship for her high school education at All Hallows' School{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article180975038|title=Extension Scholarships|date=1931-01-29|work=Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld. : 1912 – 1936)|access-date=2019-04-19|pages=13}} and completed the Junior Public examination with first class passes in four of her five subjects.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187223262|title=Details of Students' Successes in Junior Public Examination|date=1933-01-18|work=Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 – 1947)|access-date=2019-04-19|pages=6}} She completed her nursing training at Brisbane General Hospital in 1937.{{Citation|last=Bomford|first=Janette|title=Doig, Edna Nell (1915–1988)|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/doig-edna-nell-12428|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|access-date=2019-04-13}}
Career
In December 1939 Doig joined the Australian Army Nursing Service as a staff nurse. She served in the 2/3rd Australian General Hospital (AGH) at Godalming, Surrey, before being transferred to the 2/2nd AGH in Egypt, where she was promoted to sister. In March 1942 she returned to Australia where she was appointed lieutenant, then captain, both in 1943.
From September to November 1945 Doig was part of the 2/14th AGH that cared for the Australian prisoners of war released from camps in Malaya prior to their repatriation. Doig spent 1946 to 1949 as deputy-matron of the 130th AGH in Japan. Returning to Australia, she transferred to the Army Reserve in April 1949 and settled in Melbourne. There she undertook midwifery training at the Women's Hospital and worked at the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg.
In 1953 Doig was promoted to major in the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.{{Cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10972682|title=Colonel Edna Nell Doig|website=www.awm.gov.au|language=en|access-date=2019-04-13}} She became matron-in-chief and director of the Army Nursing Service on 23 May 1961, succeeding Ethel Jessie Bowe who had just died.{{Citation |last=Bassett |first=Jan |title=Ethel Jessie Bowe (1906–1961) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bowe-ethel-jessie-9553 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |access-date=2023-11-08 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}} She was then promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1963. Doig toured South Vietnam in 1969.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107903175|title=Care of the sick|date=1969-11-12|work=Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995)|access-date=2019-04-19|pages=29}}
Awards and honours
In the 1953 Queen's Birthday Honours, Doig was made an Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC).{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article232890478|title=Government Gazette Notices|date=1953-06-11|work=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 – 1973)|access-date=2019-04-19|pages=1595}} She was decorated with the award by Queen Elizabeth II at Government House, Sydney on 6 February 1954.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50578132|title=To be decorated by the Queen|date=1954-01-22|work=Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 – 1954)|access-date=2019-04-19|pages=6}}
Doig received the Royal Red Cross (1st Class) (Imperial) in the 1963 New Year Honours for her service in the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1112350|title=Lt. Col. Edna Nell Doig, ARRC|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-04-13}}
She was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal in 1969 as one of the 22nd Awards. She received the medal from Lady Hasluck, in her role of President of the National Red Cross, in Melbourne.{{Cite journal|last=International Committee of the Red Cross|date=May 1970|title=Twenty-second Award of the Florence Nightingale Medal|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/RC_May-1970.pdf|journal=International Review of the Red Cross|volume=110}}
Death and legacy
References
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Category:Members of the Royal Red Cross
Category:Florence Nightingale Medal recipients
Category:Australian Army personnel of World War II
Category:Female wartime nurses
Category:Women in the Australian military
Category:Created via preloaddraft
Category:20th-century Australian women