Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War R.R.C. group of three awarded to Acting Principal Matron Amy Willes, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, who was mentioned in despatches for services as Deputy Director of Medical Services in Italy in 1918

Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver-gilt, gold and enamel, mounted on original ladies bow in its Garrard & Co. Ltd. case of issue; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (A/Principal Matron A. Willes) these two mounted for display, together with their damaged named card boxes of issue; two Q.A.I.M.N.S. cape badges, silver and bronze, in cases of issue; London Guy’s Hospital medal for 5 Years Service (Amy Willes) with brooch pin; two ribbon bars with M.I.D. oak leaves; and a silver identity disc fashioned from a French coin, the reverse erased and inscribed ‘A/Matron Willes A C of E Q.A.I.M.N.S.’, the first three nearly extremely fine (7) £600-£800

R.R.C. London Gazette 3 June 1916.

M.I.D. London Gazette 30 June 1920: ‘For gallant and distinguished service in Italy.’

Amy Willes was born in Peckham, London, on 6 June 1873. She was educated at Highleigh House School and Morley College, Lewisham, before undertaking three years training at Guy’s Hospital, London, 1896-99. Having qualified as a nurse, she became Sister in Charge of the Out Patient Department for one year, then Sister in Charge of the Female Surgical Ward, and eventually left the hospital in November 1901.

Willes joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service as a Staff Nurse on 14 November 1904, and was promoted to Sister on 15 August 1905. Initially posted to Netley Hospital, she was then posted to the newly opened Tidworth Military Hospital, followed by an appointment to the Royal Herbert Hospital at Woolwich. On 7 October 1909, she embarked aboard the transport vessel Plessy to serve as a nurse aboard the ship during a return voyage to India, and on return she was posted back to Woolwich.

Willes was next transferred to Dublin in April 1913, but with the outbreak of war she was employed at the Mount Vernon Hospital in Hampstead from early 1915. She was appointed Acting Matron there on 2 February 1915, where she oversaw its transformation to a military role as the Hampstead Military Hospital in March 1915, specialising in cardiac problems. She was next posted to the Connaught Hospital at Tidworth in June 1915. It was predominantly for her services at Hampstead Military Hospital and the Connaught Hospital that she was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class, in the King’s Birthday Honours in 1916. She received the insignia from the King at Buckingham Palace on 4 October 1916.

While she was Senior Matron at the Connaught Hospital in Aldershot, Rudyard Kipling wrote to her when he was trying to find out the details of his son (Second Lieutenant John Kipling, Irish Guards) who was missing in action. Details of his letter to her dated 25 October 1915 are included in the research).

Willes remained on Home Service at the Connaught Hospital until March 1918, when she was posted overseas to the war in Italy as an Acting Principal Matron in the position of Deputy Director of Medical Services (Despatches, British War and Victory Medals). She was posted to the 11th General Hospital at Genoa in October 1918, and whilst there was diagnosed with breast cancer, being invalided home for surgery in March 1919. On her recovery, Willes was posted to the King George V Hospital in Dublin, followed by a posting to Colchester Military Hospital in July 1919. From March 1920 to January 1923 she served overseas at Cairo, Egypt. Prior to her return from Egypt, she reverted to her rank of Sister in December 1922.

Willes was again posted to Tidworth Military Hospital on 9 May 1923, and was then posted to Shornecliffe Military Hospital on 15 December 1924, being promoted to Matron on the same date, remaining as such in this post until her retirement on 20 March 1928. Sold with extensive and comprehensive copied service records.