Torquay DivisionSt John Ambulance (1906–2006)

The Order of St John, St John Ambulance Association and Brigade is today the St John Ambulance movement. It operates throughout Britain, the Commonwealth (both past and present) and many other countries. Its object, to spread a knowledge of First Aid and with a Nursing Auxiliary giving voluntary but practical service on these subjects to the community.

The Torquay Brigade was conceived in 1902 although in fact was not formalised until 1906 when twenty one men signed their statement of intent to officially launch the Torquay Division. Mr J S Jones was elected first Officer and with his and Mr Dunlop's signature appended to the founding document on November 18th 1906 the Torquay Brigade was born.

The Torquay Division welcomed the introduction of a Nursing Division when it was formally registered in March 1913 by its first Torquay Divisional Superintendent Mrs M Ellis. She was the first of many Divisional Officers to be promoted in the Brigade Reserve as a District Superintendent. Later she and others would go on to serve other Divisions including the rapidly expanding St John Cadets who had an additional requirement, a Drill Hall.

With a distinctive uniform the St John volunteers were regularly seen on the streets of Torquay following the earliest of the horse drawn two person stretchers, mirroring to some extent the hand held litters used for centuries to remove injured soldiers from battlefields.

This the only ambulance facility available to the public in Torquay it relied on financial support from the Local Authority. Later the paid drivers of vehicles were still members of the Brigade, a situation that continued until the late 1940's when a Parliamentary Bill, The National Health Service Act of 1946, finally ensured the responsibility for most hospitals and ambulance services came under State control.

With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948 the provision of public ambulances changed forever. In Torquay administration of the fleet was transferred to the local Fire Service then based at Market Street, until in 1950 Devon County Council transferred all responsibility back to the St John Brigade. Now the administration of the South Devon Ambulance service was controlled from St John offices in an abandoned wartime fire station near Old Mill Road, Torquay. Following the purchase of Locksley Hall at 65 St Marychurch Road, Torquay during the 1950's the Brigade garaged the ambulances there.

The nursing division now established a new Medical Comforts Depot at Locksley Hall and eventually the Torquay Ambulance control (responsible for the South Devon area from Teignmouth in the East to Kingsbridge in the West), finally moved from Old Mill Road to Locksley Hall, its permanent home.

The now hugely successful volunteer service around the UK was able to supply upwards of 7000 uniformed men and women to attend the London celebrations of the Coronation of Her Majesty Elizabeth II in 1953. By 1956, when the Torquay St John Ambulance Division was commemorating its Golden Jubilee year, it is recorded that more than 120,000 men, women and young people served the Order in the UK with a staggering 68,000 additional volunteers around the Commonwealth.

The ambulance service run by St John was finally turned into a national body with the creation of the National Ambulance Service in 1972, by which time the Torquay Division had renamed Locksley Hall, St John House.

Today the volunteers of the Torquay St John division still regularly support First Aid posts at literally hundreds of events each year. Members attend every type of sporting and public activity imaginable which includes functions and events in support of the seriously disabled or handicapped. Throughout its long history the local Brigade has welcomed male and female volunteers and its Divisions today include a thriving cadet force, an independent transport section and, in 1987, the most recent creation, a Torquay Badgers Group, to encourage the 5 to 10 year olds to take part in St John activities.

Today St John House is used for teaching, training, examinations and even competitions, often resulting in certificates being awarded. Having to comply with today's comprehensive Health and Safety regulations makes it essential that even volunteers constantly update their knowledge, skill and equipment to modern day requirements. This involves a considerable commitment of time and effort by supporters of St John. Today's volunteers are dedicated to serve local people and visitors alike using high standards of care and service at all times.

On November 18th 2006 the Torquay Division of St John commemorated one hundred years since their formation when members enjoyed a re-union of past and current volunteers at St John House. A week later, on the 25th November 2006, at a public open day event members were also present at the unveiling of a centenary blue plaque to honour the Division's founding year in 1906.

The Order of St John originally removed injured men from the battlefield using anything to hand (eg a farm gate) and later even treated Christian Knights wounded in battle. The Knights and Sisters of the Order were finally accepted in Britain and across Europe as the St John Brigade. With a restored Order of St John in the UK in 1876 and the St John Ambulance Association in 1887, the following year Her Majesty Queen Victoria finally granted the Order a Royal Charter of Incorporation. Then in 1907 His Majesty King Edward VII granted a supplementary Charter allowing for the establishment of Priories throughout the British Empire.

Provision of the plaque was with the help of Torbay Civic Society. Its Chairman Ian I Handford compiled this pamphlet from the information, history and photographs provided by D Penny and G Furneaux, October 2006.