Orders, Decorations and Medals

The George Cross pair awarded to Nurse Florence Alice Allen, former Albert Medallist, for the Quetta earthquake in May 1935

GEORGE CROSS, the reverse officially engraved (Florence Alice Allen 1935); JUBILEE MEDAL 1977, the pair mounted court style as worn, together with the Royal Mint case of issue for the George Cross for Ladies, extremely fine and rare (2)

Albert Medal, London Gazette, 19 November 1935: 'At the risk of her own life, and at the cost of terrible injuries to her leg, Nurse Allen saved the life of the child in her charge by throwing herself across the cot. On subsequent occasions she displayed the highest courage’

Florence Allen was born on the 26th September, 1906, and spent her early years on Ascension Island where her father was serving with the Royal Marines. 'I come from a very military background and both my father and brother lost their lives in the last two wars. 'She was educated privately on Ascension Island and then in England at the Royal Marine School in Chatham, Kent, before training as a nurse: 'I was very interested in children and used to take children of military families to see their parents overseas.’

In 1935, at the time of the disastrous earthquake in Baluchistan, Miss Allen was nurse to Christopher, the son of Flight Lieutenant C.H. Turner, R.A.F., serving with No. 5 (AC) Squadron, R.A.F. Quetta. She was asleep in bed one night and heard the rumblings of an earthquake and falling masonry. Rushing to the child's cot she was unable to lift him out because a mosquito net was in the way, and as the house collapsed around her she threw herself on top of the child. The child escaped with just a small scratch but Nurse Allen was buried beneath the rubble for two days before being rescued. Speaking nearly 50 years later she recalled: 'Bones were broken in my arm and legs and so they had a job to get me out. When you think that 35,000 people were killed by that earthquake it takes some thinking about. Its not something you forget. When I lay buried I remember calling out for water and saying 'quickly'. A black hand appeared through the rubble with a cigarette case full of water. I never got to meet that man.'

Both hospitals had been destroyed and so for several days she remained in an emergency tent before being taken to Karachi to a military hospital. Back in England she was invested at Buckingham Palace with the Albert Medal by King Edward VIII in the onlyI nvestiture to be held during his brief reign.

In accordance with the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 21st October, 1971, Florence Allen became entitled to exchange her Albert Medal for the George Cross, and duly attended an Investiture at Buckingham Palace on 2nd November, 1972, when she received the award from the hands of Queen Elizabeth. Only 12 awards of the George Cross, whether direct or by exchange, have been made to women.

The lot is sold with a quantity of original documents including official letters concerning the Investiture for both the Albert Medal and the George Cross, several invitations to attend V.C. and G.C. Association reunions, four photographs and several newspaper cuttings.