Library of the Religious Society of
Friends in Britain
Friends Ambulance Unit
(1939-1959)
This is a selective guide to archive, manuscript and printed material collections in the
Library. It is not exhaustive, particularly in relation to pamphlets and articles. Related
material on other Quaker relief work is not included in this guide.
For a thorough search of archives and manuscripts you will need to consult the finding
aids and lists in the Library reading room. Some of the printed materials can be
searched for using the on-line catalogue www.quaker.org.uk/cat , but for many you will
need to use card catalogues and other finding aids in the Library reading room.
Friends Ambulance Unit (1939-1946) was established by a committee of former
members of the Friends Ambulance Unit (1914-1919) at the start of World War II in
September 1939. More than 1,300 members were trained. They served in post-air raid
relief, medical, citizens' advice and other welfare work in various British cities, as well
as medical, hospital, ambulance crew and depot work in numerous overseas zones.
These included Finland, Norway and Sweden (1940), the Middle East (1940-1943),
Greece (1941, 1944-1946), China and Syria (1941-1946), India and Ethiopia (19421945), Italy (1943-1946), France, Belgium, Netherlands, Yugoslavia and Germany
(1944-1946) and Austria (1945-1946).
The FAU was wound up after the end of the war in 1946 and replaced by the Friends
Ambulance Unit Post-War Service (1946-1948), later Friends Ambulance Unit
International Service which continued until 1959. The Library holds the archives of
these bodies (see below).
Publications For world war II, there is an official history of the work (UK, Europe,
Africa, Near and Middle East, India and China) in Friends Ambulance Unit – the story
of the FAU in the Second World War 1939-1946 by A .Tegla Davies, 1947 066 DAV
Lynn Smith has written more reflectively in Pacifists in Action- the experience of the
Friends Ambulance Unit in the Second World War (1998). Research for this book
depended largely on the Anti-War collection of the Imperial War Museum Sound
Archive (London) containing interviews with FAU members. 066 SMI
For accounts of FAU Post War Service (1946-1948) and International Service (19491959) see FAU : The Third Generation compiled by Roger Bush (1998) 066 BUS
There are various pamphlets and reports of FAU work including items such as :
The Evolution of the Friends' Ambulance Unit (1943)
The Experience of the Friends Ambulance Unit in Ethiopia (1946)
A year in Honan (FAU China Convoy, 1947)
Holland: work in the flood areas 1953-1954 (1954)
Library of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain
Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ
Telephone 020 7663 1135 Fax 020 7663 1001
Internet www.quaker.org.uk/library Email library@quaker.org.uk
Registered charity number 1127633
066 [FAU 1/4a]
066 [FAU 1/9]
066 [FAU 1/7 a-b]
Box 520/6-7
Friends Ambulance Unit
(1939-1959)
Work in the Ionian Islands (1954)
Periodicals
Box 520/9-11
Annual and quarterly Reports 1939/40-1946
Pers B/F7/AMB/2
Post War Service Reports 1946-1948
Pers B/F7/AMB/2
International Service Reports 1949-1958
Pers B/F7/AMB/2
Egyptian Newsletter : see Middle East Newsletter
Ethiopian Newsletters 1942 –1943
TEMP MSS 876/1947/3/6
FAU Chronicle 1940-1946 [indexed to no.84 (1946)]
also a set in Unit archives :
Pers B/F7/AMB/2
TEMP MSS 876/1947/3/1-2
Newsletter 1941
TEMP MSS 876//1947/3/5
Newsletter (China convoy), 1942-1947
TEMP MSS 876/FAUCC/4
Fortnightly Information 1944-1945 (Mediterranean: M.E.F./ Mediterranean section/
Mediterranean Area): became C.M.F Mediterranean newsletter (1945): later
Mediterranean News Sheet (1945): later FAU C.M.F. Newsletter (1945 ,incomplete):
later FAU Mediterranean Area Newsletter (1945-1946)
TEMP MSS 876 /1947/3/6
Hadfield-Spears mobile hospital Unit Newsletters Mar 1941-June 1942
TEMP MSS 876/1947/3/5
Middle East Newsletter (London) 1941-1944:
Pers U/F7/AMB/2 and
TEMP MSS 876 FAU/1947/3/5
To be distinguished fromEgyptian Newsletter (Cairo) 1941-1942: becomes Middle East Newsletter
TEMP MSS 876/1947/3/6/6-7
FAU Weekly Information 1942 Jan-1946 June
TEMP MSS 876 /1947/1/5
You may also wish to refer to the entries for "Friends Ambulance Unit" in the Handlist
of Periodicals in the Library Reading Room.
Papers of former Unit members (unpublished)
Some former Unit
members or their families have donated collections of letters, journals and other
documents connected to their service. They are catalogued in the Reading Room
card catalogue of manuscripts under the donor's surname and/ or under "Friends
Ambulance Unit".
Photographs
For official collections, photographs of private origin, and some
artwork connected to the Unit, please contact the Picture Librarian (for contact details
see the end of this leaflet). There is information in the guide Pictures on our website
www.quaker.org.uk/library .
Friends Ambulance Unit
(1939-1959)
Archives
The official archives of FAU activities and organisation are held by the
Library. They comprise minute books, files, reports, the Unit Chronicle and other
newsletters, and photographs (Library reference TEMP MSS 876: full handlist to be
found under this reference in Reading Room). There are also Personnel Record cards
of Unit members (these may only be seen on microfilm, for conservation reasons;
Library reference MICS 579-580).
The Reading Room handlist has an alphabetical index to file titles, e.g., FAU history:
original drafts. File references are written in the form TEMP MSS 876/FAU/1947/1/2A:
“1947” in this example, indicates the year the documents were passed to the Library,
not the year the records were created. This filing system does not always bring
together archives belonging together, though the list of main minute books below is in
correct order. Council and committee minutes are a key source of information.
FAU COUNCIL MINUTES
1939-1941 including setting up Unit
1942 Jan-September
1943-1958
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1948/2
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1947/2/3
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/3
TRUSTEES MINUTES
Oct 1940-Jan 1945
Sept 1945-Jan 1947
Sept 1947-Jan 1948
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/1
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/2
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/1
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES
Oct 1940 – Dec 1941 (Indexed)
1942 (Indexed)
Dec 1942– Dec 1943 (Indexed)
1944 – July 1946
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1947/2/2/1
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1947/2/2/2
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1947/2/2/3
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1948/2
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORTS
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1947/2/1
GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE MINUTES
July 1939 – Dec.1941
Feb – Nov 1942
1943-1959
see also Finance sub-committee 1954 March-Dec
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1948/2
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1947/2/3
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/3
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/4
FINANCE SUB-COMMITTEE MINUTES
Dec 1940 Dec – Dec 1944
Jan 1945 – Jan 1946
Feb 1946 Feb – March 1956
(but see also General Purposes Cttee. above)
POST WAR SERVICE COMMITTEE MINUTES
March 1946-September 1948
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE MINUTES
Oct 1948 –Nov 1958
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/1
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1948/2
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/4
Temp MSS 876/FAU/1986/1/5
Temp MSS 876/FAU/19
General Library information is overleaf
Friends Ambulance Unit
General Library
(1939-1959)
information
Copying and reproduction
While unpublished documents over 50 years old in the Library are normally open for
research under our usual conditions, readers should be aware that for conservation or
copyright reasons, publication or reproduction may not be allowed.
Library opening hours
Tuesday-Friday
10.00am - 5.00pm
Please note the Library closes for one week in the spring.
It is advisable to telephone or email prior to visiting. New library users will need to
complete a registration form and show proof of permanent address. The registration
form can be downloaded from our website www.quaker.org.uk/library or requested
from the Library.
For further information or help please contact us by either
email library@quaker.org.uk, or telephone 020 7663 1135, or in writing:
The Library,
Friends House,
173 Euston Road,
London. NW1 2BJ
www.quaker.org.uk\library
Image of FAU emblem taken from Third Report (October 1941-September 1942)
January 2009