The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick

A rare Great War R.R.C., M.M. group of three to Sister D. A. Laughton, Territorial Force Nursing Service

Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with bow ribbon, in Garrard, London case of issue; Military Medal, G.V.R. (Sister, T.F.N.S.); T.F.N.S. Cape Badge, unnamed, about extremely fine (3) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

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R.R.C. London Gazette 1 January 1918.

M.M. London Gazette 19 November 1917.

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1916.

Dorothy Ann Laughton was born in Greenwich, the third daughter of Sir John Knox Laughton, Kt., R.N. Educated at Notting Hill High School and at the Ursuline Convent, Montaign, Belgium, she undertook her training as a nurse at St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, 1904-05. She joined the Territorial Force Nursing Service in November 1909 and was called up for service in August 1914, proceeding to France in October for service at 13 Clearing Hospital, Boulogne. She subsequently served at 8 Casualty Clearing Station, Bailleul; 18 General Hospital, Camiers and at 57 Casualty Clearing Station, May-November 1917. On special leave in England until October 1918, she then returned to service at the 1st Eastern Hospital until March 1919.

Her Military Medal was awarded for service whilst with 57 C.C.S. Published in the London Gazette without a citation, the following entry has been extracted from semi-official records, ‘On the night of 19 August, 1917, the Asylum at St. Venant which is in part used as a Casualty Clearing Station, was hit by five bombs dropped by an enemy aeroplane; 5 female lunatics were killed or died of wounds and 15 injured. Miss Laughton, in spite of being knocked over by the blast of a bursting bomb, behaved with the utmost coolness and it was mainly by her example and presence of mind amidst the maniacal chaos that order was restored, and that the wounded were speedily attended to when extracted from the ruins’.

In addition to her M.M., Sister Laughton was mentioned in despatches and awarded the R.R.C. She was also entitled to the 1914 Star, British War and Victory Medals. After the war she continued to work in nursing, becoming S.R.N. No.17084 on June 1923, and taking a post at the Hampstead Hospital. Sold with some copied research. For the recipient’s miniature medals, see lot 716.