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  • CLOSED
  • FREE
  • Chelsea, London

Health and Medicine

Florence Nightingale at Scutari, 1856
Featured

Florence Nightingale: The Lady with the Lamp

Florence Nightingale was a legend in her own lifetime and one of the most famous women in British history.

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Chantelle Taylor during an oral history recording, 2016

In Their Own Words: Staff Sergeant Chantelle Taylor

Chantelle Taylor served as a combat medic during the recent conflict in Afghanistan. In 2008, while on patrol in Helmand Province, she became the first female British soldier to kill an enemy combatant at close quarters.

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Gunner of the Royal Artillery at a Covid mobile testing unit, West Midlands Safari Park, June 2020

Recording the Army’s Covid response

British Army personnel have made a significant contribution to the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the National Army Museum initiated a contemporary collecting project to record their efforts.

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Cap badge, Royal Army Medical Corps, c1941

Royal Army Medical Corps

Formed in 1898, but within origins dating back to the 1660s, this specialist corps was responsible for maintaining the health of British Army service personnel. In 2024, it merged with two other corps to form the Royal Army Medical Service.

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Officers' cap badge, Royal Army Chaplains' Department, c1980

Royal Army Chaplains’ Department

Formed in 1796, this corps provides religious and pastoral support to soldiers. Its officers, all ordained priests, have taken part in most British Army deployments.

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Medical staff at Camp Bastion in Helmand, c2008

Army medics in Afghanistan

During the war in Afghanistan, Army medics at Camp Bastion Hospital treated thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians. Medical staff also provided vital support during patrols and combat operations.

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Disinfecting plague houses with a flushing engine, 1897

The Bombay plague

In 1896, bubonic plague broke out in Bombay. The fightback against this deadly epidemic was fully documented by a British military officer in a remarkable series of photographs.

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Cap badge, other ranks, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, c1950

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

This medical unit provided nursing services to British Army personnel across the world. Although formed in 1902, its origins dated back to Florence Nightingale's pioneering nursing work during the Crimean War. In 2024, it merged with two other corps to form the Royal Army Medical Service.

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Other ranks' cap badge, Royal Army Veterinary Corps, c1965

The Royal Army Veterinary Corps

This corps is responsible for the provision, training and care of animals in the British Army. With origins dating back to the 1790s, it has served in many campaigns, including the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Royal Army Dental Corps

Royal Army Dental Corps

Formed in 1921, the Royal Army Dental Corps took care of the British Army’s oral hygiene for over a century, both in barracks and on active operations. In 2024, it merged with two other corps to form the Royal Army Medical Service.

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Turkish prisoners after General Brooking's victory at Ramadi, September 1917

Mesopotamia campaign

During 1914-18, British troops fought the Turks in Mesopotamia. After many setbacks, they finally took Baghdad in March 1917. This marked the high point of a long and tragic campaign fought in a harsh climate.

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Andy McNab’s survival kit, c1990

The art of staying alive: McNab’s survival kit

An SAS soldier's personal survival kit contains many everyday objects. These can be used in ingenious ways, demonstrating both the adaptability and the resourcefulness of the Special Forces.

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Prawn

Reaction to shellfish saves soldiers’ lives

For a force that fights on land, the British Army has benefitted from some surprisingly aquatic assistance. Here, we explore some of the ways that fish have been used to help solve technological problems and save lives.

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School children taking part in a Crimean War workshop
Primary workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Florence and Mary

Discover the historic contributions of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and why they have been remembered (or not) over time.

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A British medical orderly treats a wounded German soldier, c1916
Secondary (virtual)

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment (virtual)

Explore artefacts and sources on the causes and treatment of injuries and illnesses on the Western Front during the First World War, and assess the impact of these innovations.

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School children taking part in a Crimean War workshop
SEND workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Florence and Mary (SEND)

Find out about the work of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and how they helped the soldiers in the Crimea.

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Florence Nightingale tending to wounded soldiers at Scutari Hospital
Primary (virtual)

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Florence and Mary (virtual)

Discover the historic contributions of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and why they have been remembered (or not) over time.

find out more
School students getting to grips with the handling collection
Secondary workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment

Explore artefacts and sources on the causes and treatment of injuries and illnesses on the Western Front during the First World War, and assess the impact of these innovations.

find out more
Sister Evelyn Morgan character actor
Performance At Museum

29 December 2024

FREE

Soldier Stories: Sister Evelyn Morgan

Meet characters, both real and imagined, from the Army’s past and hear their amazing stories in our galleries.

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A British medical orderly treats a wounded German soldier, c1916
Talk At Museum / Online

14 February 2025, 12.00pm

FREE

It Worked: Innovation and Improvisation in the Royal Army Medical Corps

Jessica Meyer examines how new ideas and technologies helped to push military medical care forwards during the First World War.

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Explore Health and Medicine learning resources

Marvellous Mary Seacole
Home Activity

KS1-KS2 (Ages 5 to 11)

Marvellous Mary Seacole

Discover more about Mary Seacole and her work at the British Hotel during the Crimean War.

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Florence and Mary Gallery Hunt
Trail

KS1 (Ages 5 to 7)

Florence and Mary Gallery Hunt

Go on a hunt to find out more about how Florence and Mary cared for sick and injured soldiers in the Crimea.

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Military Medicine: Gallery Trail
Trail

KS3-KS4 (Ages 11 to 16)

Military Medicine: Gallery Trail

Follow the trail to find ten gallery objects that explore combat medicine, survival and rehabilitation.

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Florence Nightingale in the Military Hospital at Scutari, 1855
Quiz

KS1 (Ages 5 to 7)

Florence and Mary in the Crimean War: Quiz

Put your knowledge of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole to the test in this interactive quiz.

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Outside an advanced dressing station at Tilloy-les-Mofflaines, Western Front, April 1917
Timeline

KS4-KS5 (Ages 14+)

Health and Medicine in the Army: Interactive Timeline

Uncover the history of medical developments in the British Army through this interactive timeline packed with nearly 200 sources.

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How to Draw: Victorian edition
Home Activity

KS1-KS2 (Ages 5 to 11)

How to Draw: Victorian edition

Use our simple step-by step instructions to have a go at drawing Florence Nightingale, her pet owl and the ship she took to the Crimea.

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