Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine post-War ‘Burma’ A.R.R.C. group of five awarded to Squadron Officer Eileen M. Knox, Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service

Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class (A.R.R.C.), G.VI.R. 2nd issue, silver and enamel, reverse dated ‘1949’; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Sister E. M. Knox. P.M.R.A.F.N.S.); Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (5) £700-£900

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

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A.R.R.C. London Gazette 9 June 1949.

The original recommendation states: ‘This Nursing Sister has been employed on nursing and administrative duties in Burma for the last 12 months, she was appointed Matron to 65 M.F.H., Mingaladon in February 1946, at the time the M.F.H. was converting to a station hospital, and she has remained as Matron since that date. During the period that she has been Matron she has worked untiringly for her patients and staff. In spite of the very adverse conditions existing at Mingaladon, and throughout the Command as a whole, she succeeded rapidly in making the Hospital an efficient unit from the nursing aspect.

It was due to the efforts of A/Matron Knox and her staff Nursing Sisters that, although faced with a shortage of both supplies and facilities, the comfort and welfare of the patients was achieved with such success. In addition to her work for the Hospital itself, she exerted a degree of tact and firmness in the organisation of the Sisters Mess which was one of the major factors in maintaining an esprit de corps during the difficult post-war transitional period. A/Matron Knox, as the personality responsible for the high standard of morale and efficiency of her Nursing Sisters, has, by devotion to duty in a trying overseas theatre, contributed considerably to the reputation and prestige of her Nursing Service and of the Royal Air Force.’

Eileen Mary Knox was born in Worthing in 1908. Trained as a nurse at the Royal Free Hospital from 1930 to 1933, she registered as SRN No. 76136 on 15 March 1935. Selected for Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service as Staff Nurse with seniority from 12 January 1937, she was sent to R.A.F. Halton for training and then on to Palestine, qualifying for the GSM with clasp.

Raised Sister on 21 January 1938, Knox served with No. 10 R.A.F. General Hospital, before joining No. 60 Mobile Field Hospital at Rangoon on 17 September 1945. Appointed Matron of No. 65 Mobile Field Hospital at Mingaladon in February 1946, her valuable work was later recognised with the award of the A.R.R.C. alongside compatriot Senior Sister Lucie Mary Wainwright. Returning to England, she spent the final couple of years of her career at the R.A.F. Hospital, Cosford, before retiring on 12 January 1951.

Sold with original Buckingham Palace award letter and copied research.