The Abyssinia Medal awarded to Staff Surgeon William Deeble, Medical Staff, who died in Abyssinia, 20 April 1868

Abyssinia 1867 (Staff Surgn. Major W. Deeble, Medl. Staff) engraved correction to initial, suspension refitted, otherwise very fine £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Medical Services from the Collection of the late Tony Sabell.

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William Deeble was born in Cork on 1 August 1823. He was appointed an Assistant Surgeon with the 56th Foot on 27 October 1846; Surgeon of the 56th Foot in January 1855 and Surgeon-Major of same regiment in October 1866. Appointed to the Medical Staff on 1 February 1867. Serving in the Abyssinian campaign, Deeble was responsible for starting the field hospital at Senafé Pass, after which he went to the front, where he died at the Field Hospital on Talanta Plain just after the capture of Magdala, 20 April 1868. It is recorded in The Lancet, May 1868 that ‘he was seized with dysentery when worn out with fatigue by a march of 200 miles to join the 1st Brigade.’

Dr Deeble’s widow, Mrs J. C. Deeble, was Lady Superintendent of Nurses at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, November 1869-November 1889, and was decorated with the Royal Red Cross on 24 May 1883. Her medals, including the Zulu War Medal, were sold at Sotheby’s in November 1984 as part of the collection of Nursing Medals formed by the late Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris, R.N. Their son became Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Life Guards. With a folder of copied research.