Brigadier Eileen Joan Nolan CB was more than a senior officer and the Director of the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC); she was a pioneer in an era when women were steadily carving out their place in military service. Born on 19 June 1920 in Bournville, near Birmingham, she came from humble beginnings—the daughter of a First World War veteran who later worked for Cadbury’s, driven from an early age she won a scholarship to King’s Norton Grammar School, laying the foundations for a life defined by service and resilience. 

In 1942, as the world was engulfed in the turmoil of the Second World War, Eileen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army at that time. Her early wartime years were spent largely in training roles, where she taught and prepared others for military duty. In 1945 she commissioned, remaining in the Army after the war to command a unit of 300 War Office clerks and secretaries. Following the formation of the WRAC in 1949 as the successor to the ATS, Nolan's career included key postings such as commanding the WRAC contingent in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1952; managing freight operations to the Middle East from the War Office, including during the 1956 Suez Crisis; and leading a 90-strong WRAC unit in Tripoli, Libya, in 1957, where she navigated local cultural challenges and marking the start of a distinguished and forward-looking career. 

Her progression through the ranks was not simply about promotion, it reflected a deeper commitment to the evolving role of women in the Army. As commander of the WRAC officer training wing at Camberley in 1965, Nolan introduced innovative exercises and field camps for women to align their training more closely with male soldiers, supporting broader efforts to expand WRAC roles. In 1967, promoted to lieutenant colonel, she commanded the WRAC in Singapore, along with contingents in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Saigon, and Bangkok. Appointed head of personnel in 1970, she addressed equal pay issues in the lead-up to the 1970 Equal Pay Act, which initially excluded the Armed Services. During her tenure as Director, an Army working party recommended recognising WRAC as a combatant corps in 1976, paving the way for greater integration into the British Army's structure and contributing to the WRAC's eventual disbandment in 1992, when women were integrated in their various military trades.

Image - Brig Nolan standing beneath a new portrait of the Duchess of Kent, Controller Commandant of the WRAC, in the HQ Mess in London.

Whilst in the appointment as Director of the WRAC, Brig Nolan’s work to champion the professional development of servicewomen and the gradual integration of women into the fuller structure of the British Army did not go un-noticed by international audiences. Her advocacy began to extend internationally; as she successfully lobbied for women serving in NATO forces to receive official military status, she was the alliance's highest-ranking female officer at the time and was invited to be the chair the NATO's Women's Committee.

Image - Brigadier Elieen Nolan CB in mess dress with Brigadier General Mildred C. Bailey, Director US Army WAC 1971-1975, first WAC promoted to the rank of general. 

Fifty years later Brig Nolan’s work in NATO as a champion of gender issues is still being recognised, she is one of the notable women profiled in the book ‘NATO, Gender and the Military: Women organising from within’ (Dr Katharine A. M. Wright, Matthew Hurley & Jesus G. I. Ruiz, 2019), which highlights women whose efforts were at the forefront of challenging the norms of how women in the British Army were regarded, including ending the discrimination they experienced in having to train separately from men.

Image - Brig Eileen Nolan, Director WRAC & first British Army Officer Chairman of NATO Womens’ Conference.

“The progress over the last 50 years oversimplifies the achievements of the extraordinary women who have done much of this work voluntarily, on top of their existing day jobs as serving military personnel.” 
(Dr Katharine A. M. Wright)

Image shows from left to right: Brigadier Eileen L. Nolan (UK), Colonel Else Martensen-Larsen (Denmark), Major Karaoglan (Turkey), Unknown, and Lieutenant Colonel M.G. Vallance (Canada) at NATO HQ.

Brigadier Eileen Nolan was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the Military Division of the 1976 New Year Honours) -one of the highest honours for military leadership, in recognition of her distinguished service as Director of the WRAC. Earlier, in 1973, she had been appointed Honorary Aide-de-Camp to Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting her leadership role within the WRAC.

In reflecting on the pace of reform, she emphasised a measured approach, stating that "the road towards complete integration must be taken slowly, steadily and firmly," underscoring her commitment to sustainable policy changes during a period of gradual expansion in women's roles. Her legacy is further acknowledged through multiple portraits held in the National Portrait Gallery, London, capturing her as a pioneering figure in military leadership.

Image: Brig Eileen Nolan CB National Portrait Gallery.

Upon retiring as Director of the WRAC in 1977 at the age of 57, Brig Nolan concluded a 35-year military career that had begun with her enlistment in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1942. She relocated to Crowthorne, Berkshire, where she led a low-profile life focused on maintaining ties to military institutions. In retirement, she served as Deputy Controller-Commandant of the WRAC until 1984, providing continued oversight and advisory support to the corps she had once led. She became life vice-president of the WRAC Association, and president of the Finchampstead North branch of the Conservative Party. She also sustained international military connections, frequently visiting the United States as a guest of retired U.S. Women's Army Corps Director Brigadier General Mildred Bailey, fostering ongoing dialogue between British and American women's military organisations.

Private recollections from those who knew her speak to her character: disciplined, thoughtful, and resolute in her belief that the contributions of women in the Army deserved respect and broader horizons. A life dedicated to service and remained close to Sandhurst in her retirement, she attended the chapel at the Royal Military Academy regularly and when she passed away on 29 December 2005 aged 85, it was to be her final resting place.

Brigadier Eileen Nolan CB stands as a trailblazer figure who played a pivotal role in advancing and transforming women's opportunities within the British Army. A leader who understood that true progress often comes in the gradual shifts of culture and opportunity, as much as in policy and rank. She will be remembered as one of the first female brigadiers and WRAC directors, with scholarly and institutional accounts crediting her as a gender champion who made advancements in women's status within NATO during the Cold War era and highlight her enduring influence on gender equity in armed services.

This article was kindly written for the Sandhurst Trust by:
Sgt Stephanie Kolvik AGC(SPS) - RMAS Permanent Staff & WRAC Association Surrey Group Co-ordinator.
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