Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

British War Medal 1914-20 (Asst. Princpl. G. Sillery-Vale. W.R.N.S.) nearly extremely fine £100-£140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Norman Gooding Collection.

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Gladys Sillery-Vale was born on 18 May 1891 and educated at Brighton and Hove High School. A resident of Biarritz, she was enrolled in the Women’s Royal Naval Service on 25 February 1918 and appointed Assistant Principal at Newhaven. Here she began a very chequered career, her extensive W.R.N.S. Service Record being full of concerns regarding her manner, ability to lead women on parade, and consideration for others. Tranferred to Polegate and on to Haslar and Fort Blockhouse on 1 June 1918, her superiors noted that she finally found her feet: ‘Miss Vale is doing very much better work in Portsmouth than she did in Polegate as the town life is more congenial to her’.