Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of four Great War miniature medals worn by Nursing Sister A. M. Shrewsbury, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service, who was decorated by the French Government for services on board the Hospital Ship St Margaret of Scotland, and was later awarded the A.R.R.C.
1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; France, Third Republic, Medaille d’Honneur des Epidemies, bronze with anchor embroidered on ribbon, mounted as worn together with full-size ribbon bars including Royal Red Cross, very fine (4) £60-£80

A.R.R.C. London Gazette 1 January 1930.

Medaille d’Honneur des Epidemies London Gazette 24 May 1919. One of only two awards to Q.A.R.N.N.S.

Alice Mary Shrewsbury was born in Cambridgeshire on 17 August 1880, where her father had a farm of 160 acres. She had at least one brother and six sisters. She commenced her nursing training at Guy’s Hospital and trained there for four and a half years before joining the Royal Navy on 6 August 1913, at R.N.H. Haslar. At the commencement of the war she was sent to the Hospital Ship Drina and served on her until August 1915 when she was transferred to R.N.H. Haslar. In May 1917 she served for just one week on the Hospital Ship St Margaret of Scotland before being placed at R.N.H. Malta. It was at this stage that nursing sisters were withdrawn from sea service. However, in November 1917 she once more transferred to the St Margaret of Scotland and appears to have served aboard her for the rest of the war. After the war she served at Haslar, Chatham, Malta, and R.N.H. Plymouth. She was discharged to pension on 17 August 1930. Her nursing reports show her as always being assessed as very good, exemplary or above average. She was awarded the Medaille d’Honneur des Epidemies in May 1919 and the medal was forwarded to her on 19 May 1922. She attended Buckingham Palace for the investiture of her A.R.R.C. on 14 March 1930.

According to information provided by Q.A.R.N.N.S. Archives there were only 53 1914-15 Star trios awarded to Q.A.R.N.N.S.

For the recipient’s full-size medals, see Lot 142.