Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

Royal Air Force Nursing Service
RAF General Hospital in Brussels during the Second World War
Active	1 June 1918–present (originally as Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service)
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	HM The King
Branch	Royal Air Force RAF Medical Services
Type	Nursing
Role	Medicine
Size	498 nurses
Garrison/HQ	Air Command, RAF High Wycombe
Engagements	World War II, Korean War, Falklands War, Gulf War (Op GRANBY), Bosnian War, Kosovo War, War in Afghanistan, Gulf War II (Op TELIC)
Commanders
Matron-In-Chief	Group Captain Charlie Thompson
Patron	Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, LG, GCVO
Insignia
RAF Ensign
Red Cross Emblem

Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.

It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service (RAFNS) in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment as the Royal Air Force Nursing Service on 27 January 1921. It received the Royal prefix after Princess Mary agreed to become its Patron in June 1923.

It was a women-only branch until 1980, when men were also permitted to join. Until the Second World War, it was only open to unmarried women, or childless widows. There was also a Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (Reserve) (PMRAFNS(R)) to supplement the regular service during times of war or emergencies.

A history of the service was commissioned from the writer Mary Mackie and appeared in 2001.^[1] An updated and extended edition covering subsequent decades (including service in Afghanistan) was published in September 2014.^[2]