Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry x42
A Great War R.R.C. group of three awarded to Acting Principal Matron Amy Willes, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, who was mentioned in despatches for services as Deputy Director of Medical Services in Italy in 1918
Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver-gilt, gold and enamel, mounted on original ladies bow in its Garrard & Co. Ltd. case of issue; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (A/Principal Matron A. Willes) these two mounted for display, together with their damaged named card boxes of issue; two Q.A.I.M.N.S. cape badges, silver and bronze, in cases of issue; London Guy’s Hospital medal for 5 Years Service (Amy Willes) with brooch pin; two ribbon bars with M.I.D. oak leaves; and a silver identity disc fashioned from a French coin, the reverse erased and inscribed ‘A/Matron Willes A C of E Q.A.I.M.N.S.’, the first three nearly extremely fine (7)
£600-£800
R.R.C. London Gazette 3 June 1916. M.I.D. London Gazette 30 June 1920: ‘For gallant and distinguished service in Italy.’
Amy Willes was born in Peckham, London, on 6 June 1873. She was educated at Highleigh House School and Morley College, Lewisham, before undertaking three years training at Guy’s Hospital, London, 1896-99. Having qualified as a nurse, she became Sister in Charge of the Out Patient Department for one year, then Sister in Charge of the Female Surgical Ward, and eventually left the hospital in November 1901.
Willes joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service as a Staff Nurse on 14 November 1904, and was promoted to Sister on 15 August 1905. Initially posted to Netley Hospital, she was then posted to the newly opened Tidworth Military Hospital, followed by an appointment to the Royal Herbert Hospital at Woolwich. On 7 October 1909, she embarked aboard the transport vessel Plessy to serve as a nurse aboard the ship during a return voyage to India, and on return she was posted back to Woolwich.
Willes was next transferred to Dublin in April 1913, but with the outbreak of war she was employed at the Mount Vernon Hospital in Hampstead from early 1915. She was appointed Acting Matron there on 2 February 1915, where she oversaw its transformation to a military role as the Hampstead Military Hospital in March 1915, specialising in cardiac problems. She was next posted to the Connaught Hospital at Tidworth in June 1915. It was predominantly for her services at Hampstead Military Hospital and the Connaught Hospital that she was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class, in the King’s Birthday Honours in 1916. She received the insignia from the King at Buckingham Palace on 4 October 1916.
While she was Senior Matron at the Connaught Hospital in Aldershot, Rudyard Kipling wrote to her when he was trying to find out the details of his son (Second Lieutenant John Kipling, Irish Guards) who was missing in action. Details of his letter to her dated 25 October 1915 are included in the research).
Willes remained on Home Service at the Connaught Hospital until March 1918, when she was posted overseas to the war in Italy as an Acting Principal Matron in the position of Deputy Director of Medical Services (Despatches, British War and Victory Medals). She was posted to the 11th General Hospital at Genoa in October 1918, and whilst there was diagnosed with breast cancer, being invalided home for surgery in March 1919. On her recovery, Willes was posted to the King George V Hospital in Dublin, followed by a posting to Colchester Military Hospital in July 1919. From March 1920 to January 1923 she served overseas at Cairo, Egypt. Prior to her return from Egypt, she reverted to her rank of Sister in December 1922.
Willes was again posted to Tidworth Military Hospital on 9 May 1923, and was then posted to Shornecliffe Military Hospital on 15 December 1924, being promoted to Matron on the same date, remaining as such in this post until her retirement on 20 March 1928. Sold with extensive and comprehensive copied service records.
43
A Second War R.R.C. group of five awarded to Principal Matron Miss Rosalind M. Ruddock, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, late Territorial Force Nursing Service
Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.),
G.VI.R. 1st issue, silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, reverse dated 1941; British War and Victory Medals (Sister R. M. Ruddock.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted for display purposes, the first with lady’s bow riband, minor chip to red enamel on first, otherwise good very fine (5)
£600-£800 R.R.C. London Gazette 1 July 1941.
Miss Rosalind Maud Ruddock was born at Weymouth, Dorset on 9 January 1887, the daughter of Nathaniel Ruddock, a Royal Navy Schoolmaster. Following the outbreak of the Great War she attested for the Territorial Force Nursing Service and served in the Salonica theatre of War from 20 October 1916, before transferring to Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service. She was promoted Staff Nurse on 1 September 1919; Sister on 1 July 1926; Matron on 22 January 1938; and Principal Matron on 13 May 1942. She retired in 1947, and died in Worthing, Sussex, on 2 July 1975.
An article published in The Portsmouth Evening News on 28 September 1937 gives the account of an occasion when her motor car was stolen by two of her patients: ‘A 50-mile joy ride through two counties led to the appearance at Eastleigh, Hants, to-day of two men, patients at the Victoria Military Hospital, Netley, who admitted stealing a car belonging to the hospital matron, Rosalind Maud Ruddock, from outside nursing quarters on September 17. Private Harold Cleaveley (20), of the Middlesex Regiment, stationed at Victoria Barracks, Portsmouth, was sent to prison for three months, and Rifleman Arthur Marsh (24), of the Rifle Brigade, stationed at New Barracks, Gosport, was handed over to the military authorities to be dealt with. P.C. William Mann said that Cleaveley and Marsh were detained at Egham, Surrey. Cleaveley said, “Yes, I stole the car and drove it,” and Marsh's statement was, “If we had not run out of petrol you wouldn't have had us.” It was stated that Cleaveley would not be accepted back into his regiment, but Marsh would be as he was due for an Indian draft in December.’
Sold with copied research.
x44
A Great War D.S.C. attributed to Lieutenant J. S. Campbell, Royal Naval Reserve
Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., silver, hallmarks for London 1916, reverse contemporarily engraved ‘Lieut. J. S. Campbell R.N.R.’, in Garrard, London, case of issue, good very fine
£600-£800 D.S.C. London Gazette 23 March 1917.
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