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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (Nursing Sister V. P. Squire.);
KSA (0) (Nursing Sister V. P. Squire.)

Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve

According to Sheila Gray, she served in Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Wynberg.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (Nursing Sister M. Walker.) officially re-impressed naming as typically encountered with QSAs to Nurses;
KSA (0) (Nursing Sister M. Walker.);
Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service cape badge, silver, light scratches to obverse

Together with the related miniature awards, these mounted as worn

Margaret Walker trained at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, and joined Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve as No. 201 on 10 January 1900. She served in South Africa during the Boer War at No. 13 Stationary Hospital, Pinetown Bridge.

Pictures courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (Nursing Sister C. L. Travis.) officially re-impressed naming as typically encountered with QSAs to Nurses;
KSA (0) (Nursing Sister C. L. Travis.);

Together with the recipient’s Maidstone Typhoid Fever Medal 1897, silver, the reverse engraved ‘C. Travis’, last lacking integral top riband bar.

Clara Louise Travis trained at the West Kent General Hospital at Maidstone, Kent, and was one of the nurses on the Maidstone Corporation Staff engaged in the town in connection with the typhoid epidemic in 1897, for which she was presented with the medal. She joined Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve as No. 291 on 2 February 1900, and sailing on the Canada on 14 April 1900 served in South Africa during the Boer War, first at No. 1 General Hospital, Wynberg; and then at No. 13 General Hospital, Johannesburg. She saw further service at home during the Great War with Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service from 27 July 1916.

Maidstone Typhoid Fever Medal

A major epidemic of Typhoid Fever broke out in Maidstone, Kent during late August 1897. By 9 September, 117 cases had been reported, rising to 774 by the end of the month and by 9 October the number had risen to 1,200, with 42 deaths. The cause was never fully identified but the reservoir at Barming, the spring at Tutsham, and various pumping stations were all found to be contaminated - all this compounded by the poor sewage system then in operation at Maidstone. In the highly charged atmosphere of the times, irresponsibly defecating hop-pickers also were blamed for the outbreak! The Town Council also came in for some criticism in having, as an economy measure, reduced the number of times a year the water purity was tested. In response to the outbreak, suspect water supplies were cut and Barming Reservoir was chlorinated. The Town Council issued handbills to the townspeople recommending the boiling of all drinking water and a free laundry was opened for the washing of all clothes and bedding from infected households; these same houses were then thoroughly disinfected. Emergency hospitals were opened, and such was the need, that doctors and nurses from outside the area were brought in to tend to the sick and dying. A subscription to help the poorer townsfolk was also opened. By rigourous methods the epidemic was brought under control, and by the end of December it was largely over; the total number of reported cases being 1,847, with 132 deaths.

Medals were awarded to the nursing staff who served in the town during the epidemic. Many were presented by the Mayor of Maidstone at a special ceremony held at the Museum and Technical School on Wednesday 8 December 1897; an account of the presentation being given in the South Eastern Gazette of 14 December 1897. Some 700 people attended the presentation, including members of the Town Council, Magistrates, Clergy and other people of note. The Mayor of Maidstone (Councillor J. Barker) gave a speech before the presentation, paraphrased by the newspaper, ‘... While they must be filled with regret for those who had been taken away ... it was a matter of congratulation to know that the epidemic which overtook them three months ago, had been stamped out thanks to the efforts of their Medical Officer, the medical men of the town, and ... through the sturdy and gallant conduct of every inhabitant of Maidstone ... and, in addition to the help received from the residents in the town and neighbourhood, they had an army of trained nurses to assist them. ... He now wished on the part of every inhabitant of the borough of Maidstone, ... to thank the nurses who had assisted them during their great trouble ... and he was going to ask them to accept a small medal as a token of esteem for the work they had done ...’

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (Nursing Sister H. M. Young)

Helena Mary Young joined Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service on 2 July 1900, and served in South Africa at N. 9 General Hospital, Bloemfontein.

She saw further serve at home during the Great War as a Lady Superintendent, British Red Cross, in Norfolk from October 1915.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (0) (Sister M. G. Kerr. I.Y. H.P. Staff.);
British War and Victory Medals (M. G. Denning. B.R.C. & St.J.J.)

MC GV;
1914-15 Star (2.Lieut. D. M. Dening. R.F.A.);
British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. D. M. Dening R.A.F.)

MC London Gazette 26 July 1918, the original citation states:

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in salving Government stores and attending to wounded under heavy shell fire. On the 3 April 1918 with a party of men, five of whom had already been wounded, this Officer repeatedly returned to the balloon position at Fosse, which was being heavily shelled, to salve Government stores and to supervise the removal of his balloon for packing. Owing to the roads being under heavy enemy fire, it was impossible to remove the balloon, but the next morning he went up again and was successful in getting the balloon and other Government stores away, during which period he was subjected to heavy machine gun fire from the enemy. It was largely due to Lt Dening's courage and initiative that the unit was enabled to remain ready for action.'

Douglas Montgomery Dening was born at Bath on 8 June 1877 and was educated at the Old Boys School, Ottery St Mary. Prior to the Great War he served with the British Vice-Consul in Manaos, Brazil and was a local representative of the Booth Shipping Line, indeed it is noted on his service records that he was fluent in Portuguese. Dening married Miss M. G. Kerr on 7 September 1904 in Brixton, London and joined up briefly on outbreak of the Great War with King Edward's Horse before receiving a commission into the Royal Field Artillery in December 1914.

Entering the war in France from February 1915 he was first wounded on 13 October 1915 and again on 10 April 1916 this second injury also bringing a severe concussion. Sent for convalescence in England on 15 April 1916 he was transferred to the 81st Battery, Reserve Divisional Artillery. Ordered to report to the Headquarters, Royal Flying Corps on 18 August 1917, Dening was attached to the R.F.C. as a Balloon Officer.

He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 1 January 1918 and achieved the altitude record of 5,250 feet made at Ypres in the same month. Posted back to France from 8 February 1918, he added to his skills with a course on telephony on 11 March 1918 becoming a Qualified Observer on 22 May 1918. Dening was finally appointed an Acting Balloon Commander with 42 Balloon Section on 18 August 1918, not long after his gallantry winning heroism.

Admitted to Hospital again on 1 January 1919 he was released 8 days later re-joining No.42 Kite Balloon Section. Dening went on to serve in Germany with the Royal Air Force at the Headquarters in Cologne as part of No.2 Balloon Training Wing. leaving the Royal Air Force in August 1919 he returned to Brazil in the immediate post-war years. Dening was prosecuted in Rio de Janeiro, for 'irregular wearing of R.A.F. uniform' in June 1922. However he did not have long to live despite his relative youth, instead drowning at Praia Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro on 7 November 1922 following a dive from a balcony which saw his skull fractured on a rock.

Mary G. Dening (nee Kerr) had originally trained at the Evelina Hospital for two years, and Leeds General Infirmary for three years. First seeing service overseas in South Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital Staff, Pretoria. After the war she married Douglas Dening at Brixton, London on 7 September 1904.

The outbreak of the Great War saw her again volunteer for service, enlisting with the British Red Cross on 29 September 1914. Posted serves overseas at No.18 Tournon, Aix les Bains in September 1914 she served there until April 1915 before joining the No.2 Anglo-Belge, Calais.

Further posted to the Serqueux Rest Station between May-June 1915. Her contract expired there, and she returned to Britain, appearing in various medical establishments for the duration of the war, including the 19th Durham V A Hospital, Windlestone Hall between 14 July - 10 September 1915.