THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

SHAW Daphne Margaret

215491, Sister, Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps

CITATION

Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC)

Gazetted 30 December 1983, Supp 49584, p37

Major Shaw joined the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps as a Sister in 1969. Since that time she has served in hospitals in all three Services within New Zealand, and in New Zealand Force Hospital in Singapore and, notably, in 1971 for a year with No 1 Field Hospital, Vung Tau, South Vietnam, nursing Allied casualties requiring medical, surgical and intensive care.

She assumed her present appointment as Matron of the Base Hospital, RNZAF Base Auckland in 1976. In this appointment she has an additional responsibility for the supervision of all nursing officers posted for flight sister duties and undertakes these duties herself. In her capacity as a flight sister, Major SHAW has attended many VIP passengers, including the Governor-General and Prime Minister, and has attended aero-medical patients on many tasks throughout the South Pacific. These have involved the aero-medical evacuation of critically ill civilian and service personnel at all times of the day and night with minimal notice and often without specialist equipment or assistance.

Specific events which highlight the variety of tasks Major SHAW has undertaken include the first two RNZAF flights to Burma, the evacuation of New Zealand nationals from Teheran, and a period of two weeks in the then Gilbert and Ellice Islands assisting during a cholera epidemic.

On all these occasions and on missions of a more routine nature, Major SHAW has shown a total dedication to the welfare of her patients and the well being of the passengers and crews with who she has flown.

The sense of duty which she typically displays always places others before herself regardless of the circumstances.

Throughout her service Major SHAW has demonstrated the highest professional standards in her care of Service and civilian patients. At all times she has been an inspiration to junior nursing officers and medical staff.

KNOWN AWARDS

Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC)

Queen's Vietnam Medal

NOTES

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