Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Great War O.B.E., R.R.C. group of five awarded to Matron Miss Clara L. Ross, Australian Army Nursing Service, Australian Imperial Force, who, leaving Australia with the first hospital unit, served with No. 1 Australian General Hospital in Egypt and on the Western Front, and later as Matron of No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield Park

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type, lady’s shoulder badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919, on lady’s bow riband, in Garrard, London, case of issue; Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, on lady’s bow riband, in Garrard, London, case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Sister C. L. Ross. A.N.S. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (Matron C. L. Ross. A.I.F.), the campaign medals mounted as worn; together with a miniature O.B.E., and a Royal Red Cross silver and enamel brooch, the gilding somewhat worn on the OBE, therefore very fine, the rest good very fine and better (5) £1,200-£1,600

O.B.E. London Gazette 12 December 1919:
‘In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the War.’

R.R.C. London Gazette 21 June 1918:
‘In recognition of valuable nursing services in connection with the War.’

Miss Clara Louisa Ross, was born at French Island, Western Port, Victoria, on 1 January 1874 and trained as a nurse at Melbourne Hospital, receiving her Melbourne Hospital Certificate in 1902, and the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses Association Certificate in 1904. From 1909-14 she served as Matron at Ararat Hospital, Victoria.

Following the outbreak of the Great War Clara Ross joined the Australian Army Nursing Service, and left Australia with the first hospital unit, sailing from Melbourne on the Kyarra on 5 December 1914 with 160 other nurses and medical officers who comprised Nos. 1 and 2 Australian General Hospitals. She landed in Egypt on 20 January 1915, and and gained her first experience of active service with No. 1 Australian General Hospital, set up at the Heliopolis Palace Hotel, Cairo. She served there throughout 1915, during which the increased number of casualties evacuated from Gallipoli placed enormous physical and emotional demands on the nursing staff.

In early 1916, after the Australian troops had left the Dardanelles, No. 1 Australian General Hospital relocated to Rouen on the Western Front. However, as there were still troops in Egypt requiring hospital facilities, Clara Ross was sent to be Matron in Charge of Ras-el-Tin Convalescent Hospital in Alexandria. She spent six months there, before re-joining No. 1 Australian General Hospital in Rouen on 31 July 1916, just in time to deal with the growing number of admissions caused by the bBattle of the Somme.

After six months at Rouen, Clara Ross spent the early part of 1917 in Brighton, before being posted to No. 3 Australian General Hospital at Abbeville. In July 1917 she returned to England, as temporary Matron of No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall, before being appointed Matron of No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield Park in November 1917, where she remained for the rest of the War. This was perhaps the most demanding period of her nursing career, for as well as the wounded she had to deal with the great number of admissions following the outbreak of Spanish Influenza in late 1918. For her services during the Great War she was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and was awarded the Royal Red Cross 1st Class.

Clara Ross returned to Australia in October 1919, and was discharged from the Australian Army Nursing Service on 11 January 1920. She subsequently served as Matron of Castlemaine Hospital, Melbourne, and then as Matron of the Kitchener Memorial Hospital in Geelong. She died on 20 December 1952.

Sold with a newspaper extract from the Melbourne Herald, 29 July 1919, which includes a photograph of the recipient.