Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Orderly F. O. Wardill, British Red Cross and Order of St. John of Jerusalem, later Royal Engineers, who prior to the Great War served as a Fireman at Southend-on-Sea

1914 Star, with clasp (F. O. Wardill. B.R.C.S. & O.St.J.J.); British War and Victory Medals (3806 Spr. F. O. Wardill. R.E.); together with three Southend-on-Sea Fire Brigade Medals, the first a large hallmarked silver medal, 50mm, 8 clasps, Pizzy Hoze Cart, Woolard Escape, Southend Steamer, Mitchell Butler Aggrte., Screw Hosecart, Green Manual, National Clinton, Dixon, with top riband bar Southend (N.F.B.U. Fireman F. O. Wardill 1910.); the second a hallmarked silver medal, 38mm, 3 clasps, Dixon, Junior Steamer, National Steamer, with top riband bar Scarborough (N.F.B.U. Fireman F. O. Wardill 1908.); and the third a bronze-gilt medal, 38mm, 1 clasp, Junior Manual, with top riband bar Tonbridge (N.F.B.U. Fireman F. O. Wardill. 1909.) all Vaughtons Ltd. silk-lined cases of issue; together with the recipient’s British Red Cross Society National Fire Brigades Union lapel badge, good very fine and better (6) £240-£280

Frank Oscar Wardill was born in Walthamstow in 1884, and spent the pre-War years living at 56, York Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, where he served as a Fireman. A married bricklayer, he served in France from 24 October 1914 as an Orderly with the British Red Cross and Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the medal roll noting ‘Boulogne Unit No. 4’. He later transferred to the Royal Engineers.