Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

Four: Sister A. M. S. Lorimer, Territorial Force Nursing Service
1914-15 Star (S/Nurse A. M. S. Lorimer, T.F.N.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Sister A. M. S. Lorimer); Serbia, Cross of Charity, 1912 issue, gilt and enamel

Four: Nurse E. C. G. Lorimer, British Eastern Auxiliary Hospital, Serbia
1914-15 Star (E. C. G. Lorimer, Service with the Royal Navy); British War and Victory Medals (E. C. G. Lorimer, Service with the Royal Navy); Serbia, Cross of Charity, 1912 issue, gilt and enamel, extremely fine (8) £600-700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of British Groups with Foreign Awards.

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Agatha Margaret Stuart Lorimer was born in Edinburgh in about 1886, the daughter of Sheriff John Campbell Lorimer and Jemima Lorimer. She trained as a Nurse at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh and enrolled in the Territorial Force Nursing Service on 30 May 1913. She was called up for service at the 2nd Scottish General Hospital on 11 August 1914 and ‘left for foreign service on 28 May 1915’ - believed to be with the British Military Mission to Serbia. (m.i.c. states ‘France, 15 May 1915’). She was in France serving with the 13th General Hospital in Boulogne in December 1915, with the 24th Ambulance Train in March 1916; 24th General Hospital in Etaples in October 1916; the 12th Ambulance Train in March 1917; 64th Clearing Station in June 1917; 46th Clearing Station in June 1918 and 20th General Hospital at Amiens in January 1919. She was demobilised on 13 March 1919 and finally resigned from the T.F.N.S. on 28 March 1938. The award of the Cross of Charity is not confirmed.

Her sister, Nurse Elizabeth C. G. Lorimer, who was born in Edinburgh in about 1889, served as a Nurse with the British Eastern Auxiliary Hospital, Serbia. The complement of unit amounted to 22 individuals, comprising three surgeons, one physician, a matron, three sisters, three nurses, five orderlies, one secretary, three servants and two others. She subsequently married, becoming ‘Mrs Fitch’ - her trio being listed on the ADM171/133 roll. Her husband, Assistant Paymaster (later Lieutenant-Commander) Henry (Harry) Maldon Fitch was on the Naval Staff of the British Mission to Serbia. His memoirs entitled My Mis-Spent Youth were published in 1936. The known award of the Cross of Charity to other members of the British Eastern Auxiliary Hospital suggests that the award to Nurse E. C. G. Lorimer, although not confirmed, is more than likely.

For an article concerning these groups see ‘Two Awards of the Serbian Samaritan Cross’, by Philip Whittingham, in the March 2005 edition of the Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society.

With a photocopy of the above article; together with a copied m.i.c. and a quantity of copied service papers relating to A. M. S. Lorimer and with copied roll extract re. E. C. G. Lorimer.