Medals from the Collection of the Late Eric Smith (Part II)

Three: Nurse Annette Muriel Silver, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve

British War Medal 1914-20 (S. Nurse A. M. Silver); British Red Cross Society Medal for War Service 1914-18, unnamed, in card box of issue; Irish War Hospital Supply Depot Badge, gilt and enamel, crudely inscribed, ‘1917’ on reverse, pin-backed, extremely fine (3) £60-80

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of the late Eric Smith.

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Nurse Annette Muriel Silver, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. entered the war on 19 September 1916 with service on the Hospital Ship Asturias.

In the Great War the 12,002 ton Royal Mail Steam Packet Company’s liner Asturias was taken up for use as a Hospital Ship by the Admiralty. Having survived an attack by a German submarine on 1 February 1915, which fired a torpedo that missed; it suffered a further attack on 21 March 1917. On the night of 20/21 March, having safely discharged her sick and wounded from Salonika at Avonmouth, she was continuing her journey along the English Channel. Emblazoned with red crosses on her sides and with all her lights burning, she was attacked by a German submarine 6 miles off Start Point, Devon. Hit by a torpedo she nevertheless managed to run ashore at Bolt Head, from where she was later refloated and again placed in service. Of the 206 persons on board at the time, 49 were nurses. Some 45 persons were killed in the attack. It is not known if Nurse Silver was on board the ship at this time. With copied research including m.i.c. - which shows entitlement to the Victory Medal.