Tag: Medals

Medals Speak Strongly of a Remarkable Woman’s Courage, Service and Duty

Nursing Sister Annie Alexander medals and awards

Medals speak strongly of remarkable courage, service and duty. They are collected with great reverence and a desire to keep the stories of the recipients alive.

Nursing Sister Annie Alexander’s story was vividly retold when a group of medals and associated papers and photographs were sold in Toovey’s specialist auction for £5500.

World War I nurses were members of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS). There were about 10,000 regular and reserve QAs serving in countries as far afield as France, India, East Africa, Italy, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Salonika and Russia.

This rare group of seven First World War period British and French medals and decorations awarded to Nursing Sister Annie Alexander comprised a Royal Red Cross , a Military Medal, a 1914-15 Star, a 1914-18 British War Medal and a 1914-19 Victory Medal, a French M‚daille d’Honneur des Epid‚mies en vermeil and Belgian L’Arm‚e … ses Infirmaries nursing medal, with various related original and copied paperwork and photographs.

A rare group of seven First World War period British and French medals and decorations awarded to Nursing Sister Annie Alexander with associated photographs and paperwork

They related to her service during the Great War at Queen Alexandria’s Hospital at Dunkirk. I ask Mark Stonard, Toovey’s militaria and medals specialist, about the collection and he says “The hospital acted as a station for invalided soldiers from the front. Annie was one of the front-line nurses aiding these soldiers under horrendous circumstances. The hospital was bombed from the air on a number of occasions. Annie was awarded the medals in 1917 along with some of her fellow nurses who worked with her at Dunkirk.

“The Military Medal awarded to Annie was instituted in 1916. The obverse had an effigy of King George V, the reverse bore the inscription “For Bravery in the field.

In total some 115,600 military medals were awarded during the First World War but only 127 were given to ladies. So this was an exceptionally rare group. Winning the Gallantry Medal must have been a source of great pride for Annie. What made this group even more special was the accompanying contemporary photos, paperwork and French and English certificates from the time which bring this very personal story to life.”

Mark speaks with passion and reverence about this remarkable person, her life and our common story, our history.

200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo Remembered

After W. Heath - 'The Battle of Waterloo June 18th 1815', colour aquatint
After W. Heath - 'The Battle of Waterloo June 18th 1815', colour aquatint

This week sees the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, a moment in British history bound up with our national psyche.

The defeat of Napolean Bonaparte and the French at Waterloo, on the evening of Sunday 18th June 1815, brought to a close decades of conflict which began with the French Revolution in 1789 and continued with the Napoleonic Wars.

Napolean had been exiled to the island of Elba after his defeat by the Allies in 1814. He escaped from Elba in February 1815 and returned to Paris.

The Duke of Wellington was in command of the Allied forces in the Netherlands. In response to Napolean’s return he assembled the British forces from garrisons there and urgent reinforcements were sent from England. Although many British soldiers were away in America his forces totalled some 40,000 men. The remaining 100,000 were hired from the smaller powers as was customary. Each of the Allies mustered a quota similar in number. As the Russians and Austrians moved slowly towards the French borders the Prussians, under the command of Gebhard von Blucher, came up in May.

Napolean left Paris on the 12th June 1815 intending to drive a wedge between the British and the Prussians in order to divide and defeat them and regain Belgium.

On the 15th June Napolean attacked the Prussians on the Sambre driving them back to the North-East. The Belgians were also forced back towards Brussels as far as a farm house known as the Quatre Bras. Wellington ordered his forces to meet at Quatre Bras. He too was attacked but determinedly held his positon before drawing back and establishing himself at Waterloo.

On the 18th June column after column of Napolean’s forces fell upon the British only to be repelled by Wellington’s defensive technique and the discipline and courage of his troops. Evening brought the sound of the Prussian guns. Blucher had evaded the French forces deployed to keep him from the field of battle.

Now certain of his ally’s aid Wellington advanced his whole line of infantry under the support of artillery and cavalry. The French were driven from the battle field in confusion. Napolean’s power was broken. He fled to Paris and surrendered to British forces before being imprisoned on St Helena.

A Waterloo Medal with impressed naming to 'Quar. Mast. Ben. Sweeten, 1st Batt. 52nd Reg. Foot.'
A Waterloo Medal with impressed naming to 'Quar. Mast. Ben. Sweeten, 1st Batt. 52nd Reg. Foot.'

Objects which make history tangible and alive are highly prized by collectors. This is particularly true of collectors of militaria and medals. Take for example the rare Waterloo Medal with impressed naming to ‘Quar. Mast. Ben. Sweeten, 1st Batt. 52nd Reg. Foot.’ It came with its original adapted steel clip but lacked the suspension ring. Together with a newspaper cutting relating to the Sweeten Family it sold for £4600 in a Toovey’s specialist medals auction to a Horsham based collector.

Circle of William Grimaldi - Oval Miniature Head and Shoulders Portrait of a British Military Officer in Uniform, decorated with a Waterloo Medal, early 19th Century watercolour on ivory
Circle of William Grimaldi - Oval Miniature Head and Shoulders Portrait of a British Military Officer in Uniform, decorated with a Waterloo Medal, early 19th Century watercolour on ivory

However, a lot of militaria remains much more affordable. For example the colour aquatint titled ‘The Battle of Waterloo June 18th 1815’, after W. Heath would sell for around £120. The oval miniature head and shoulders portrait of a British Military Officer in Uniform, decorated with a Waterloo Medal, dates from the early 19th Century and is a watercolour on ivory. It was sold at Toovey’s for £300.

If you would like to know more about the background to this most famous battle Horsham Museum and Art Gallery’s exhibition, ‘Waterloo: 100 Days’, explores the events that led to the final defeat and exile of Napolean Bonaparte. Horsham Museum is fortunate to have many original documents from the period including the plan of the barracks drawn in 1815 when the barracks were sold and dismantled. The exhibition features documents which illustrate how the town was dramatically affected by the soldiers giving a flavour of the period through costume, books, prints, china and glassware. The exhibition runs until 11th July 2015.

Toovey’s next specialist auction of Edged Weapons, Firearms, Medals, Awards and Militaria will be held on Wednesday 9th September 2015. To find out more telephone 01903 891955 or go to www.tooveys.com.

Revd. Rupert Toovey. Originally published on 17th June 2015 in the West Sussex Gazette.