Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Acting Matron Mary R. Makepeace, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Nursing Sister M. R. Makepeace.) officially re-impressed naming as typically encountered with QSAs to nurses; King’s South Africa 1901-02, no clasp (Nursing Sister M. R. Makepeace.); British War Medal 1914-20 (A. Matron. M. R. Makepeace.) good very fine (3) £400-£500

Mary Ridley Makepeace was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne on 7 January 1860 and trained at the London Hospital from 1890 to 1892. She enlisted in the Army Nursing Service as a Nursing Sister on 15 October 1894 and served served at Netley from 1894 to 1897, and at Shorncliffe from 1897 to 1899. She served during the Boer War in the Hospital Ship Spartan from October 1899 to January 1900, and then in the Hospital Ship Avoca from February 1900 to October 1901. She subsequently served during operations in the Orange River Colony from November 1901 to 31 May 1902, and was appointed to Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service as a Sister on 17 February 1903. She saw further service during the Great War, and was advanced Acting Matron (also entitled to a Victory Medal and a Silver War Badge).

Nurse Makepeace is identified in a group photograph on board the Spartan published in the Black and White Budget of 6 January 1900.

Sold with copied research including medal rolls for both Boer War medals and Great War Medal Index Card which shows entitlement to British War and Victory Medals and to Silver War Badge.