Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War 1941 ‘Lowestoft Air Raids’ B.E.M. pair awarded to Miss Dorothy A. D. Dallimer, Telephone Supervisor, Lowestoft Post Office, for her courage and devotion to duty in maintaining an efficient telephone service throughout the air raids during periods of constant danger

British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 1st issue (Miss Dorothy Ann Daphne Dallimer) on lady’s bow riband, in slightly damaged card box of issue; Imperial Service Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Dorothy Anne D. Dallimer. B.E.M.) surname partially officially corrected, in card box of issue, extremely fine (2) £400-£500

B.E.M. London Gazette 10 October 1941: Miss Dorothy Ann Daphne Dallimer, Assistant Supervisor, Class II, Post Office, Lowestoft:
‘This Supervisor of Women Telephone Operators has, by her courage and devotion to duty, set a fine example to her staff. Throughout the air raids in the areas where she works, she had maintained an efficient telephone service during periods of constant danger.’

Mrs. Dorothy Ann Daphne Embry, née Dallimer was born in St. Margaret’s, Lowestoft, on 1 December 1889, and was first appointed to the Lowestoft Post Office as a Telephone Operator in November 1906. During the Second World War she was employed as an Assistant Supervisor at the Lowestoft Post Office, Suffolk, and for her bravery in maintaining an efficient telephone service during periods of constant danger, while raids were targeting the port and the Naval Establishments, she was awarded the British Empire Medal. At the time Lowestoft had five Naval Establishments, with 200 Officers and over 7,000 ratings, and was the home of various Minesweepers and Motor Torpedo Boats, as well as the training establishment H.M.S. Europa- as a result it was a key target for many Luftwaffe bombing raids.

Dorothy Dallimer was awarded her Imperial Service Medal upon her retirement in 1945 (London Gazette 17 August 1945), prior to her marriage that summer on the cessation of hostilities. She died in Lowestoft in June 1973.

Sold with a photocopied extract from the Lowestoft Journal & Mercury, 18 October 1941, which contains a photograph of the recipient.