Friends' Ambulance Unit

Friends' Ambulance Unit (FAU) was a volunteer ambulance service, founded by individual members of the British Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), in line with their Peace Testimony. The FAU operated from 1914–1919, 1939–1946 and 1946–1959 in 25 different countries around the world.

History

The Friends' Ambulance Unit was created at the outbreak of World War I. It was an attempt to provide young Friends with a means of service that was not combatant. In World War II, the FAU was reconstituted and run by the British Friends Service Council. After the end of the war, the FAU was again disbanded but was revived in 1946 as a registered charity and continued to operate in various parts of the world until 1959.

Operations

The FAU was known for its work in the front lines of major wars, providing ambulance services and humanitarian aid. The members of the FAU shared a common commitment to pacifism and service to humanity. The FAU was not a medical unit, but rather a transport one. In both World Wars, the FAU volunteers, both men and women, worked on ambulance convoys, in hospitals and rest stations.

Legacy

The FAU's work was widely recognized and praised for its effectiveness and the bravery of its members. The FAU is remembered for its significant contribution to the relief of suffering in times of war.

See also

• Quakers
• World War I
• World War II
• British Friends Service Council
• Religious Society of Friends

References

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External links

• Friends' Ambulance Unit

• 
  Ambulance driver with his vehicle in Wolfsburg, Germany
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  Bethune, E. Procter
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  Former Labour Party HQ, Walworth Road
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  Philip Noel-Baker, 1942