Orders, Decorations and Medals

An early Great War M.C. and Beaumetz 1918 operations Bar group of four awarded to Major F. T. Hill, Royal Army Medical Corps

Military Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse privately inscribed, ‘Lieut. F. T. Hill, R.A.M.C., July 9th 1915’; 1914 Star, with clasp (Lieut., R.A.M.C.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major), mounted as worn, generally good very fine (4) £1600-1800

M.C. London Gazette 23 June 1915:

‘For services rendered in connection with Military Operations in the Field.’

Bar to M.C. London Gazette 22 June 1918:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Several hundred casualties of all branches of the service were passed through his unit during the day, and were evacuated promptly thanks to his zeal, energy and efficient organisation. When the enemy were advancing his unit was the last to leave the neighbourhood, and finally withdrew, when ordered to do so, and when every case had been evacuated, to join the Division. He displayed outstanding devotion to duty.’

Frederick Theophilus, who qualified at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and was a member of the University of London O.T.C., first entered the French theatre of war in August 1914, and was mentioned in French’s despatch of 31 May 1915, in addition to being awarded his first M.C. in the same year. His second M.C. was for the above stated deeds at Beaumetz on 22 March 1918, when he was serving in the 3rd Cavalry Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C. That unit’s war diary entry for the same date - following a heavy bombardment on the 21st - states:

‘Moved to Beaumetz with a view to opening an Advanced Dressing Station (A.D.S.) in order that the 2/3 East Lancashire F.A. might, if necessary, fall back on us. A.D.S. was open at 11 a.m. and at once cases began to arrive. Later, the 2/3 East Lancashire F.A. fell back past Beaumetz to Le Mesnil, leaving us its cases for evacuation. We remained there until about 7.30 p.m. At that hour, having evacuated all our cases by means of our own motors (of which we had only two), the motors of the 2/3 East Lancashire F.A. and other cars lent by a neighbouring M.A.C., the unit proceeded to report to the 1st Cavalry Division at Athies under instructions from the A.D.M.S. 66th Division to whom we were attached. During the day we passed through about 300 cases, of whom about 200 were lying or sitting cases ... The operations of the past two days were commanded by Major F. T. Hill, M.C., R.A.M.C.’