Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War M.C. and 2 Bar group of four awarded to Captain R. B. Stewart, M.B., Royal Army Medical Corps, late Royal Scots

Military Cross, G.V.R., with Second and Third Award Bars; 1914-15 Star (2.Lieut. R. B. Stewart, R. Scots); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt.) good very fine (4) £3000-3500

M.C. London Gazette 14 January 1916: ‘For distinguished service in the Field’ - Temporary Second Lieutenant Robert Bell Stewart, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (Service Battalion).

Bar to M.C. London Gazette 18 January 1918; citation London Gazette 25 April 1918: Capt. Robert Bell Stewart, M.C., R.A.M.C., Spec. Res.

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He successfully carried out the evacuation of the wounded from the regimental aid post, over extremely bad ground, and under very heavy fire.’

2nd Bar to M.C. London Gazette 2 April 1919; citation London Gazette 10 December 1919: Capt. Robert Bell Stewart, M.C., M.B., R.A.M.C., Spec. Res., attd. 55th Fd. Amb., R.A.M.C.

‘For conspicuous gallantry near Preux aux Bois and Hecq on 4th November, 1918. He was in charge of a division of stretcher-bearers when, finding the attack held up, he went forward alone to reconnoitre. He organised the evacuation of wounded under heavy fire, and pushed on into the Forest de Mormal to reconnoitre roads for the purpose of getting wounded back. Throughout the day by his energy and devotion to duty all casualties were expeditiously got away.’

Robert Bell Stewart was born at Pollockshields in 1892 and was educated at George Watson’s College for Boys 1902-10. He was a student of medicine at Edinburgh University, 1910-16 (M.B., Ch.B. 1916), but enlisted as a Private into the 9th Royal Scots in August 1914, becoming 2nd Lieutenant in November 1914 and Captain in September 1915. He transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Lieutenant in August 1916, becoming Captain in February 1917. He served in France at Festubert, Loos, Somme, Passchendaele, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, and Le Cateau; was wounded in September 1915 and September 1916, and mentioned in December 1915. Captain Stewart relinquished his commission on 1 April 1920.

168 two-bar Military Crosses were awarded during the Great War.