Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Staff Nurse Annie ‘Nancy’ Beel, American Ambulance Hospital, Paris

1914 Star, with copy slide clasp (A. Beel. Amer: Amb: Hosp:); British War and Victory Medals (S. Nurse A. Beel.) together with T.F.N.S. cape badge, two associated brass ‘T’ insignia, and ribbon bar, nearly extremely fine and scarce (3) £300-400

Sarah Ann Beel, who was born in Hull on 22 July 1882, began her nursing training in 1905 and by the time war broke out in 1914 she was an experienced nurse. The roll for the 1914 Star and clasp confirms that she was serving as an Acting Sister with the American Ambulance Hospital from 7 August 1914, based at Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris. It later became known as the American Red Cross Military Hospital. Between the wars she qualified as a sanitary inspector, worked as a health visitor, and was a school nurse with London County Council. A founder-member of the women’s section of Hampton branch of the British Legion, she was a holder of the gold badge, one of the highest awards bestowed by the Legion. She died at Hampton in April 1965, aged 82.

Sold with two portrait photographs, one taken before August 1914 and one in nursing uniform, several news cuttings and comprehensive research including copied medal rolls and extracts from relevant histories.