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Picture courtesy of Spink

CMG n/b;
DSO GV;
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (O. Richards, Civ: Surgeon. I. Y. Hosp:);
1914 Star (Lieut: O. Richards. R.A.M.C.);
British War and Victory Medals (Col. O. Richards.);
Egypt, Kingdom, Order of the Nile, Second Class set of Insignia, comprising neck Badge and breast Star by Lattes, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, maker's name to reverse

CMG London Gazette 3 June 1918.
DSO London Gazette 23 June 1915.
Order of the Nile London Gazette 13 September 1921: 'For services to medical education.'

Owen William Richards was born on 30 September 1873 at Isleworth Vicarage, the younger son of the Reverend H. W. P. Richards, Prebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Home educated until the age of 13, Richards won a King's Scholarship to Eton College and subsequently obtained a 1st Class B.A. (Honours) in physiology at New College, Oxford. Elected to a Winchester Fellowship in October 1898, Richards became a student at Guy's Hospital, graduating in 1902, proceeding M.D. in 1905 and taking the F.R.C.S. in the same year. His studies were interrupted for a time by the South African War, when he served as a dresser (Queen's Medal & 3 clasps).

Appointed Professor of Clinical Surgery at the School of Medicine in Cairo in 1905, Richards was accustomed to ride out to the military hospital of the Egyptian Army at Abbassia. He also 'employed his leisure hours in practising operations on the intestines of a cow in order to perfect his technique' (The British Medical Journal, refers). For the next nine years Richards did yeoman service in Cairo before retiring from the Egyptian service and taking a commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps at the outbreak of hostilities.

Posted to Versailles as subaltern, Richards was taken under the wing of Sir Arthur Thomas Sloggett, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., who served as Director-General of the Army Medical Services and British Armies in the Field. Under Sloggett's guidance, Richards was promoted Captain and became a pioneer of abdominal surgery, publishing The pathology and treatment of gunshot wounds of the small intestine in 1915.

Surgical opinion pre-1914

The practise of surgery in a military setting has always been difficult. There is not only the problem of inadequate or limited resources but in addition, the nature of the injuries can differ markedly from those found in civil practise. One of the most famous surgeons of the late Victorian era, Sir William MacCormack wrote in the report of his experiences during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71:

'Of penetrating wounds of the abdomen we saw but few, and the subjects of these died rapidly from peritonitis and shock.'

At that time the medical profession almost entirely shared MacCormack's pessimism regarding the value of operating on abdominal wounds, and from a table of injuries treated it seems that nothing was ever done for abdominal cases (Abdominal Surgery in the War - the early story, by J. C. D. Bennett, refers). However there were surgeons who felt that more could be done, none moreso than James Marion Sims who took over command of the Anglo-American Ambulance from MacCormack and is remembered today for popularising the practice of surgical intervention for gunshot wounds at a time when laparotomy was in its infancy.

Despite medical advancement by the interventionists led by French Surgeon Reclus, the British remained firmly against operating on intestinal wounds, this view reinforced by the appointment of MacCormack as Consulting Surgeon to the South African Field Force. According to Bennett, 'his word was law'. During his time in South Africa from 4 November 1899-26 April 1900, MacCormack formed the opinion that:
'In this [the South African] war, a man wounded in the abdomen dies if he is operated on and remains alive if he is left in peace.'

This policy of non-intervention was adopted by the British Army and became known as 'MacCormack's Aphorism'. It was adopted during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and was reinforced by the Russian Imperial Military Academy of Medicine.

Whilst statistics remained limited and records poor, this was the policy which largely held out in the years leading to the Great War, indeed Surgeon General Stevenson in the Official History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902, was only able to collect 207 cases of abdominal wounds, of whom 26 received laparotomies with 18 deaths (a mortality rate of 62.2%). However, the voice of dissenters led by Vera Gedroits who introduced early operations in an ambulance train in Manchuria, was growing, their argument becoming louder as mobile warfare looked set to evolve into a more static conflict which allowed for the construction of medical facilities near the point of need.

Great War

In 1914, records show that initial surgical practise was expectant; operative intervention simply could not be carried out under the prevailing conditions to a level where the chances of a man's survival increased with surgery. However, with the development of static lines and trench warfare, intervention surgery became a realistic option which was seized upon by Sloggett and Richards, together with their French and Belgian equivalents. Professor Tuffier wrote of the French experience that until 1915 it was expectant because conditions dictated this, but he had however found a small ambulance quite near the Front where several intestinal wounds had been successfully dealt with by laparotomy which he reported to the Society of Surgery.

Richard's findings

Owen's paper The Pathology and Treatment of Gunshot Wounds of the Small Intestine was a landmark moment in British surgical practise. It was based on 4 months' work at a Casualty Clearing Station in northern France, likely No. 6 C.C.S. at Bethune, where he had a series of nine abdominal cases. In five of these he opened the abdomen and resected intestine, concluding that wounds of the colon and duodenum tended to cause the escape of intestinal contents and thus required suture. Small intestinal wounds rarely leaked, and if they did they only caused limited and local peritonitis, the cause of death with them being obstruction. Owen went on to consider that these wounds required resection, including a portion of bowel above the injury to prevent obstruction developing. He also advised the thorough examination of the whole of the intestine, realising that the course of a bullet was often unknown.

Whether an operation should be performed to counter haemorrhage or obstruction, the message now was that an operation was necessary. In the first week of August 1915 it was directed that the rapid evacuation of abdominal wounds for operation would be the official method and the conclusions at the end of the war were that this was the correct policy:

'Most cases arrived some time between 6 and 10 hours after injury and it became apparent that 'up to six hours the chances were in favour of the patient, after this period they are always against him' (War Surgery of the Abdomen, by C. Wallace, refers).

Promoted Colonel and later a consultant surgeon and member of the Advisory Council of the D.G.M.S. in France, Richards 'did splendid work' at Merville, Bethune and Arras, being awarded the D.S.O., appointed C.M.G., and thrice mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 22 June 1915, 1 January 1916 & 25 May 1918, refer). According to his obituary:

'He told Sir Cuthbert Wallace and Sir Anthony Bowlby that if only he were given some extra equipment and placed nearer the front, he thought he might do good work on abdominal cases close to the line without giving them the trying journey back to a clearing station before operation. His request was granted, though he was told, of course, that no Sisters could be risked so far in advance; but the extra equipment and some additional orderlies made the arrangement he suggested possible, and in these circumstances some of his best work was done.'

Return to Egypt

Following the cessation of hostilities Richards returned to Egypt as Director of the Medical School and Hospital at Kasr-el-Aini, being decorated by the Egyptian Government with the Order of the Nile, Second Class. In 1922 he published The Development of Casualty Clearing Stations, Guy's Hospital Reports, before leaving the service of the Egyptian Government in 1924 under the arrangements made when the country became independent. He returned home to England where he settled at Downes, Monkleigh, near Bideford, with his wife Catherine and daughter Helen. Here he indulged a passion for yachting and became a respected figure in forestry. He died at home on 18 April 1949, his funeral being held at Monkleigh Church.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

MVO, 4th Class, breast badge, the reverse officially numbered ‘106’;
The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knight of Grace, set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver and enamel, and breast star, silver and enamel with gold pin for wearing;
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Director J. G. Hamilton, I.Y., Hp. Staff.) officially engraved naming;
KSA (2) (Director & Treas: J. G. Hamilton, I.Y. Hosp:) officially engraved naming;
Union of South Africa Medal 1910, unnamed as issued

MVO London Gazette 20 February 1903: ‘John Gardiner Hamilton, Esq., Honorary Civilian Director of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospitals, South Africa.’

Knight of Grace, Order of St John London Gazette 8 May 1903.

John Gardiner Hamilton was born in 1859, fourth son of James Hamilton, of New Park, County Mayo. He was educated at Croom’s High School, Greenwich, Merchant Taylor’s School, London, and privately.

He entered the British Civil Service and was up to 1889 in the General Post Office, London. He afterwards went to South Africa where he settled in Johannesburg and became chairman and director of several Transvaal companies. He was three times Vice-president of the Transvaal Chamber of Mines (elected President in 1912).

He was appointed Hon. Director and Treasurer in South Africa of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospitals during the Boer War of 1899-1902 (MID, QSA (3), KSA (2) and MVO (4th Class) 1903.).

He was employed in China in connection with the supply of Chinese labour for the Rand Mines; and, in 1907, was elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (Opposition Chief Whip) of the Transvaal for Springs District for the duration of the life of that parliament; Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding Witwatersrand Rifles 1903-05, and thereafter Honorary Colonel until death; was a J.P. for the district of Pretoria, was a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in England, and held the Union of South Africa medal. He died on 1 July 1912.

Sold with copied research including official copy of a letter to Lord Kitchener from the Countess Howe [Patron of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital fund] in September 1901, bringing forward the name of Mr J G Hamilton for his valuable services services with Imperial Yeomanry Hospitals, and for consideration that they be recognised with some honour. An original recommendation for the CMG was struck from the list after the extent of his contribution was somewhat witheringly reduced by Sir Ian Hamilton to the short statement that he had “Lent a palatial mansion & extensive grounds for nearly two years to the Military for a Hospital.”

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (Nursing Sister S. J. Barnes. I.Y. Hp. Staff) officially impressed naming;
KSA (0) (Nursing Sister S. J. Barnes, S.A.C.) officially impressed naming.

Sarah J. Barnes was trained at Guy’s Hospital, London, and enlisted into Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve on 10 January 1900. She served in South Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital Staff, and with the South African Constabulary, “E: Division, from 20 December 1900. She was discharged from the SAC on 1 July 1907.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (1) Cape Colony (Pte. J. S. Sawford. I.Y. Hp. Staff.) officially impressed naming;
National Fire Brigades’ Union (Ambulance Department) Medal for South Africa 1899-1902, silver (James S. Sawford, Fire Brigde, Earl’s Court, London S.W.) naming engraved in reverse field.

Noonan's say 'It is believed that approximately 42 National Fire Brigades’ Union Medals were awarded - issued to volunteers from the organisation who went to South Africa attached to the Medical Corps - working in hospitals, dressing stations etc. At the end of their service, the volunteers returned home and were presented with their medals by H.M. Queen Alexandra, Patroness of the N.F.B.U., at Earls Court in 1902. Refer Boer War Tribute Medals by Hibbard who lists all 42 recipients with some brief details. As of 2012 just eight N.F.B.U. Medals for South Africa have been recorded.'

See Neville's detailed research here: www.angloboerwar.com/medals-and-awards/2...-fire-brigades-union

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (Ward Maid M. Wilson. I.Y. Hp. Staff.) officially impressed naming

M. Wilson is confirmed on a roll of 10 Ward Maids employed with Imperial Yeomanry Hospital Staff, all of whom were disallowed the clasp for Cape Colony.

WO100/130p225

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Pte. F. Horner, Imp: Yeo: Field Hosp:) officially impressed naming

F Horner is confirmed on the roll of the Imperial Yeomanry Field Hospital, one of 62 medals issued to the Hospital, mostly with three clasps. He served as a Ward Orderly at Headquarters until 18 July 1900, when he remained with a detachment that was left at Pretoria. He left for England on 21 September 1900.