Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Order of St. John group of seven awarded to Brigadier R. E. Waterston, Royal Army Medical Corps, Queen’s Honorary Surgeon

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Officer ‘s (Brother’s) breast badge, silver and enamel; India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt., R.A.M.C.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Cyprus (Col., Staff), mounted for wear, good very fine (7) £340-380

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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Richard Ernest Waterston was born in Edinburgh on 26 May 1908. Attending the University of Edinburgh he qualified as a M.B., Ch.B., 1931 and F.R.C.S. England, 1945. He entered the Army on a short service commission as a Lieutenant in the R.A.M.C. on 1 February 1936 and was promoted to Captain in February 1937 and gained a permanent army regular commission at that rank in February 1941. He was appointed Acting Major from September 1941 and was Temporary Major, December 1941-April 1944 and May 1944-January 1945. Promoted to Major in February 1945, he was Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel during February 1948-March 1949 and was advanced to that rank in March 1949. Appointed Temporary Colonel in May 1954, he was appointed to Colonel in September 1958. During July 1959-May 1966 he held the rank of Temporary Brigadier. He served in India, 1937-44 and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 16 August 1938) and in the last year of the war served in N.W. Europe. Postwar he served in the U.S.A., 1947-48 and was then Officer in Command of the Surgical Division at the Military Hospital Chester, 1948-49 and Military Hospital Cowglen, 1949-50. Then with the B.A.O.R. he was Officer in Command of the Surgical Division B.M.H. Hannover, 1950-53 after which he held the same position in the Far East with 33 General Hospital, 1953-54. He was Consultant Surgeon to G.H.Q. Middle East Land Forces, 1954-56 and B.A.O.R., 1956. During 1956-59 he was Officer in Command of the Surgical Division at Queen Alexandra’s Hospital, Millbank. He was Consultant Surgeon H.Q. Far Eastern Land Forces, 1959-61, and H.Q. B.A.O.R., 1961-66. From 1966 he was Officer in Command of the Surgical Division of the Cambridge Hospital Aldershot. He was made an Officer of the Order of St. John in 1965 and was appointed Queen’s Honorary Surgeon on 5 March 1967.