Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce Second War ‘Indian Army’ R.R.C. group of four awarded to Principal Matron Miss Leonora G. Hughes, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service

Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.VI.R. 1st issue, silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, reverse dated 1944, on lady’s bow riband; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1930-31 (Sister L. G. Hughes. Q.A.I.M.N.S.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, extremely fine, the IGS rare to unit (4) £1,200-£1,600

R.R.C. London Gazette 29 December 1944.

The original Recommendation, submitted by His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief India, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, states: ‘Miss Hughes has been Principal Matron of North Western Army since 12 October 1942 during which time the standard of nursing in this Army has been maintained in a high standard in spite of the many vicissitudes inseparable from the great shortage of nursing sisters and from the fact that a large proportion of existing staffs have been inexperienced and unqualified. She has been unremitting in her efforts to overcome these difficulties and through her own initiative, frequent personal contacts and skilful guidance has achieved an exceedingly large measure of success. In addition her devotion to duty has been further evidenced by the deep and active interest she has taken in the training of the new nursing cadre of the I.A.M.C., in the success of which has been largely due to her zeal and enthusiasm.’

Miss Leonora Gladys Hughes was born at Northwich, Cheshire, on 11 September 1890, and trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, where she obtained her nursing certificate in 1919, and passed her Central Midwives Board examination on 14 August 1920. She was appointed Staff Nurse to the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service on 1 March 1921, having been appointed to the permanent Nursing Establishment of the Military Families and Military Isolation Hospital on 10 January the same year. Shortly thereafter, Miss Hughes volunteered for Imperial Service and embarked for Egypt in 1925, where she is recorded as serving with the Military Families Hospital, Abbassea, Cairo. Following her promotion to Sister in the Queen Alexandra’s Military Families’ Nursing Service, on 1 July 1926, she was posted to India where she served at the British Military Hospital at Peshawar during the ‘Red Shirt Rebellion’ of 1930-31, being one of only seventeen members of Q.A.I.M.N.S. to be awarded the Indian General Service Medal with clasp North West Frontier 1930-31.

Appointed Matron on 25 January 1939, Miss Hughes served in India throughout the Second World War, being appointed acting Principal Matron and was awarded the Royal Red Cross, First Class. Post-War, she continued to serve in India and Burma, before returning to England on appointment as Principal Matron of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Southampton, following which she retired the service in 1947 with the honorary rank of Principal Matron. She died in Southampton on 18 April 1963.

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