Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Major J. Allan, Royal Army Medical Corps

British War and Victory Medals (Major J. Allan); Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (Capt. J. Allan, R.A.M.C.); Territorial Decoration, G.V.R., silver, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1921; Voluntary Medical Services Medal, with Bar (Dr. J. Allan); St. Andrews Ambulance Corps Jubilee Medal 1954, together with related B.R.C.S. awards (3), all in gilt and enamel, comprising Technician’s Badge for ‘Medical Officer’ (542 Dr. J. Allan), Honorary Life Member’s Lapel Badge, the reverse officially numbered ‘406’, and Divisional President’s Badge for ‘Dumbartonshire’, generally good very fine or better (9) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman.

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John Allan, who was born in Dumbarton in March 1873, qualified in medicine at Glasgow University and was appointed a Surgeon Lieutenant in the 1st Dumbarton Rifle Volunteers in April 1906. Appointed to the R.A.M.C. (Territorial Force) in April 1908, he was attached to the 9th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, gaining advancement to Captain in the following year, and he was still serving in that capacity on the outbreak of hostilities. But he did not go out to France until May 1917, where he was advanced to Major in April 1918.

Having briefly relinquished his commission in September 1921, Allan rejoined the Territorials in January 1922, the same year in which he was awarded his T.D. (London Gazette 13 October 1922, refers), and he finally retired in March 1928 on reaching the age limit of 55 years. Meanwhile, back in 1923, he had joined Denny’s (Dumbarton) Section of St. Andrew’s Ambulance Corps, in which capacity he remained employed as an Honorary Surgeon until March 1956, and attended the 1954 Review. He was also a long standing member of the British Red Cross Society, serving as a Divisional President with the County of Dumbartonshire and being appointed an Honorary Life Member in May 1931, in addition to his duties as a G.P. at Dumbarton for over 50 years, where he was a Medical Officer (later Superintendent) at Townsend Hospital; sold with research.