Orders, Decorations and Medals

Six: Miss M. I. Smieton, later Lady Sanderson, Scottish Womens Hospital

British War and Victory Medals (M. I. Smieton); France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, star on ribbon, some corrosion; France, Medal of the Society of Aid to Military Wounded, silver; France, Cross of the Society of Aid to Military Wounded 1914-19, silver; Scottish Womens Hospitals Medal 1914, bronze, unnamed, ribbon a little frayed, good very fine except where stated (6) £260-320

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

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Miss Maude Isolde Smieton was employed as an Orderly, Dispenser and Nurses Aide at the auxiliary hospitals at Villers Cotterets and Royaumont, France, July 1916-March 1919. In the Royaumont News Letter, 1968, she recalled, ‘I remember that last week at V.C. (Villers Cotterets). It was at the end of May just before we were to leave the hospital. I was seconded to the theatre and I was to spend all the time, day and night, as orderly with Inglis and some others. We could use only candles as we were under fire. I can see Inglis holding a candle at one side of the operating table and myself at the other, trying to keep our hand steady while loud explosions went on outside. The whole place was a shambles with men lying on the floor everywhere. It was so dark ... it was difficult to know whether a man was dead or alive. ... While Miss Ivens was operating, French soldiers burst into the place and asked us why we had not left as the town had been evacuated. We eventually got away next day, only just in time, as shells were coming over. ... The Americans came to our aid and helped with the wounded. Finally our ambulances from Royaumont came to our rescue. We were glad to see them. ...’ In a letter dated 23 May 1918, Smieton wrote of the last night at Villers Cotterets, ‘I shall never forget that night aa long as I live; the sights were too appalling for words. I helped in the X-ray room. Three bombs were dropped quite close to the hospital; and a munition train in the station was bombed and went on fire. ... The doctoresses were simply splendid through it all. ... Seven amputations were done that night by the light of two candles’.

Maud Smieton married Harold Leslie Sanderson, D.C.M. in 1922. He was Director of Rice, Ministry of Food, 1941-52, and was knighted in 1946. Maud Smieton was a member and official of the Royaumont and Villers Cotterets Association. She died on 11 February 1974. Sold with copied extracts from the associations’ Royaumont News Letter.