Chelsea Pensioner
[1] During the reign of King William III and Queen Mary II, the Royal Hospital was still under construction so they introduced a system for distribution of army pensions in 1689.
A number of veterans were incorporated into the Corps of Invalids from 1688 to 1802, receiving the equivalent of the out-pension in exchange for performing garrison duty.
To be eligible for admission as a Chelsea Pensioner a candidate must be a former soldier or non-commissioned officer of the British Army (including National Service) or a former officer of the British Army who served in the ranks or was awarded a disablement pension while serving in the ranks.
They must be of pensionable age, be able to live independently on arrival at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and be free of any financial obligation to support a spouse or family.
Work completed in 2015 has ensured that all In-Pensioner berths include en suite facilities, a writing desk, and natural light.
On entry, In-Pensioners surrender their army pension, in return receiving board, lodging, clothing and full medical care.
[3] In-Pensioners also have their own club with a bar, lounges and restaurant; there are allotments for those who enjoy gardening and facilities for lawn bowls.
Winifred Phillips (1926–2016) trained as a nurse and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1948 and enlisted in the Women's Royal Army Corps in 1949 while serving in Egypt.
[7][8] Dorothy Hughes joined the British Army in 1941, later working as part of 450 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery in the London Division.
In uniform, the pensioners wear their medal ribbons and the insignia of the rank they reached while serving in the armed forces.
Featuring Dame Vera Lynn, Katherine Jenkins, The Soldiers and Janey Cutler, the album is full of well known wartime songs and includes their traditional march, "The Old Brigade".
[16] In tribute to the trademark scarlet coats worn by the pensioners, Chelsea's kit for the 2010–11 season featured a red trim on the collars.
[17] Given that Royal Hospital Chelsea was responsible for administering pensions until the First World War, it retained copies of service records up to that time.
