GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
In September 1917, concerns for Nina and Helena’s health come to the conclusion that both women should return home. A letter from The Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley, Chairman of the Joint War Committee, British Red Cross and Order of St. John notes “Dear Mrs Hollings, Many thanks for your letter of Aug. 15th, I can well understand how unhappy you must feel at giving up the wonderful work that you have been doing for so many strenuous months, but I cannot help being glad to hear that you are coming home as several people had reported to me that you and Lady Helena were beginning to suffer from the X rays. It is very kind of you to give so much of your equipment to us and I hope you will be good enough to come and see me when you get home so that we may discuss how to make the best use of it”.
Nina Hollings suffered for the rest of her life as a result of the X-ray work she had done on the Italian Front. The press later reported that Nina and Helena had taken over 17,000 X-rays during their time in Italy. An exhibition of Lady Gleichen’s pictures from drawings of the time took place in Milan in 1934.
In 1922, her husband, Herbert Hollings died. Nina moved to Breconshire and in 1939 resided with Helena Gleichen in Ledbury, Hertfordshire where during the World War II, Nina worked with the British Red Cross and Women’s Voluntary Service and Helena formed the first Home Guard in Much Markle in March 1940, also working with the British Red Cross and Air Raid Precautions. Helena Gleichen died in 1947 and Nina Hollings died a year later in 1948, when residing at Oaklands, Crowthorne, Berkshire. Nina Hollings was interred in St. Peters, Frimley, Surrey.
The Medal Index Card and Medal Rolls confirm that no British war medals were issued to Nina Hollings. In fact, Helena Gleichen makes reference, in Contacts and Contrasts, to the fact that the British Red Cross had communicated that there was a choice as to “whether to take the English ones or the Italian ones”.
Sold together with a large collection of photographs and ephemera, including the award certificate for the Al Valore Militare, and other certificates presented to and photographs taken by Nina Hollings, the latter illustrating parts of the battle and seizure of Gorizia, (6th Battle of the Isonzo) in 1916. Each large format album page is marked to the edge in ink ‘N. Hollings’ and page numbers as follows: 1 -3, 7-9, 12, 24, 27-29. Pages are unbound without covers. 1 Al Valore Militare Award Certificate, large photo of Opera House adorned with roses prior to presentation of medals after the Battle of Gorizia, two small photos of Gorizia after the battle, Requisition Order No. 767 from British Red Cross Section No 4., dated 24 June 1917, Gorizia. 2. Seven photos, including the Duke of Connaught giving British orders to General Capello, two of Nina Hollings and Helena Gleichen with and without their motor car, April 1917. Certificate for the 4th Italian Army medal presented to Nina Hollings and a stamped military envelope and letter, dated 26 June 1917, from General Cattaneo, Governor of Gorizia. 3. Three photos, including one of Radiographic unit IV in Gorizia (Nina Hollings, Miss North and Miss G. Hanbury-Williams, Corporal Stagni and Cook Comminetti), a military stamped envelope, dated 17 July 1917 from General Cattaneo, and a letter of appreciation, dated 26 September 1917, from General Capello, Commandant of the Italian 2nd Army, just prior to Hollings leaving the front. 7. Six photos of Gorizia, illustrating two panoramic views of the town.
8. Five photos of Gorizia before and after shelling bombardment, including one of Hollings and Gleichen. 9. Nine photos of Gorizia, two of shells bursting opposite ‘our’ house in Gorizia, one captioned ‘Nuns in Gorizia who refused to leave notwithstanding bombardment’, one of Hollings captioned ‘sandbagging of our quarters in Gorizia’, bomb damage at Lucenico, etc. 12. 4th Italian Army Certificate named to Nina Hollings and dated 1 December 1916, three photos, one of Captain Milani Genio, one group photo including Hollings, Gleichen and General Cattaneo and a press cutting entitled ‘Women’s Work on Italian Front: Medals for British Red Cross’ which reports that “The King of Italy has conferred upon Lady Helena Gleichen and Mrs Nina Hollings, Joint Commandants of one of the radiographic units maintained in Italy by the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John, the Italian bronze medal for valour…”. Lady Gleichen reports ‘during the last attack they were asked by the Italian authorities to arrange a permanent X-ray set for hospital No. 86, a section specially for head and abdomen cases. The arrangements were made by Mrs. Hollings, and Miss Gretton and Miss Chapman were detailed for the duty, and did excellent work all through the attack…special mention is made of the good work done by Mrs. Hollings during this time. Throughout the attack, she was living alone at Gorizia, and besides her own work of attending to four hospitals during the day she repeatedly had to go over to No. 86 to put the machinery right for the assistants. On two, if not three, occasions after a hard day’s work, she heard that the assistant at No. 86 was in difficulties; and with heavy shelling going on walked the kilometre and a half which separated the hospitals, spent the night helping them, and returned at 6 a.m. to find urgent calls waiting her for the day. This X-ray unit dealt with 1,532 cases, radioscopes and radiographs between January 1 and April 30.” 24. Letter of thanks from Antonio Morandini, ex-soldier of 108 Batterie Bombarde and ex-patient at the Field Hospital at Villa Trente, Sala Gariboldi, writing to Dr. Brock, Chief Physician, British Army, of the 6th Italian Army Corps, in which he finishes “Please also give my sincere regards and thanks on behalf of Italy’s soldiers and all nations to Mrs. Helene Gleichen and Mrs. Nina Hollings, also to Mrs. Watkins.” 27. A large press cutting entitled ‘Radiographic Work in Italy, by an English Red Cross Sister’, noting that whilst there are radiographic sections in many countries, only one is managed by women, on the Italian Front. The report is effectively a resume of the type of work done and the conditions under which Radiographic Unit No. 4 worked. There is a glowing tribute to the work of Hollings and Gleichen, in particular for the training provided by them to continue the work after they returned to England. 28. A British Red Cross and Order of St John Joint War Committee letter of thanks for work over the past 3 years, signed (The Hon. Sir) Arthur Stanley, 25 September 1917. 29. A British Red Cross and Order of St John Joint War Committee letter of congratulation to Hollings, in Italy, on the honour bestowed upon her by The King of Italy, signed (The Hon. Sir) Arthur Stanley and dated 18 August 1917.
Also sold together with a variety of other medals, badges and ephemera: Medals: A Red Cross Medal in gilt metal and enamel with steel ring suspension, obverse ‘Cormons Gorizia Zagora 1915 1916 1917’, reverse ‘Helena Gleichen Sezione Quarta Nina Hollings’, around; a silver medal, engraved to one side, ‘Wemyss Hospital Chateau du Fayel 1915’; a silver and enamel Italian Red Cross medal, obverse depicting a female aiding a wounded soldier, reverse, crescent with red enamel red cross to centre, ‘Gorizia 11.8.1916 Ospedale Da Campo N. 144’, around (Field Hospital No. 144); two Italian medals, one bronze as presented to Nina Hollings in April 1917 by the 4th Italian Army (certificate in album) and one silver, the officers’ medal for the Victory of Gorizia, obverse ‘Piazza di Gorizia’ (certificate in album), the two medals hung on either end of a black leather and velvet band, with rose gold-plated mounts; a silver medal with white ribbon, obverse, ‘Sept. L.L.D.C. 1931’; Borough of Leyton Charter Day 1926 Medal with pin. Badges: St John Ambulance Brigade and Association (4); Royal Life Saving Society, early enamel and bronze type; A.P.A. President of Committee and Founder Member’s Badge; WW1 War Workers badge (brooch fitting to reverse, pin missing). Loose ephemera: Photo of a group visit to France, published by the Office Centrale de Lisieux, including a Miss Hollings (names identified in pencil to the reverse; likely to be Miss Hilda Hollings, Nina’s daughter). Photo mounted on card of General G. Cattaneo, Italian Army; A British Red Cross and Order of St John ‘Chevron Certificate, No 7401’, named to Nina Hollings, dated 22 May 1918 and signed by Lady Margaret Ampthill, Chairman, Joint Women’s V.A.D. Committee, confirming Nina Hollings’ service from 15 December 1914 to 1 October 1917, and entitlement to wear 1 red chevron and 2 blue chevrons; large format 3 page ‘monthly operational report’ from Nina Hollings addressed to Lord Monson, dated 31 May 1916, outlining the month’s activities with a list of cases, and noting that the King of Italy and The Prince of Wales visited Unit No. 4 to review their facilities and in particular to see the radiographic equipment demonstrated. Photocopy of Outposts of Mercy.
For the medals to the recipient’s daughter, see lot 1246.
www.dnw.co.uk
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