Born to Francis and Marjory (née Grant) Cattanach in Knockando, Morayshire, Scotland in 1920, Helen Cattanach attended the Elgin Academy before travelling to Aberdeen to study nursing at Woodend Hospital. Having completed her training as a State Registered Nurse, her military career began during the hostilities of World World War II when she joined the Civil Nursing Reserve.
She became a regular Nursing Sister in the Queen Alexandra"s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) in 1946, having spent the period from June 1945 as a reserve in the corporations From 1958 she was posted to the War Office, initially as a Staff Officer with the Army Medical Directorate, and then, in 1961, as the first officer from the Queen Alexandra"s Corps to serve in the recruiting branch. After fulfilling the recruitment role "with great enthusiasm", she returned to nursing as a ward sister in Hong Kong.
In 1972, after being promoted to Matron at British Military Hospital in Münster in 1968 and the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot, in 1969, she was promoted to Brigadier and appointed as the Matron-in-Chief and Director of Army Nursing Services.
This was the highest rank available to women in the British Army. The National Portrait Gallery, London includes seven photographic portraits of Helen Cattanach taken by Bassano on 31 December 1976.
Brigadier Cattanach retired to Woking, Surrey, where she was engaged in charity work. Life-Member, Clan Macpherson Association.
She died on 4 May 1994, aged 73, from undisclosed causes.
Her obituary appeared in the Gazette of the Queen Alexandra"s Royal Army Nursing Corps Association, volunteer
