Desmond7 Posted 15 March , 2004 Share Posted 15 March , 2004 Jean Gilmer - New Zealand Nurse originally from Ireland received 'The Royal Red Cross Award' in mid-1917. Was this a 'common' award? Was it the Red Cross equivalent of theDSC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Desmond This award was not made by the Red Cross. It is an award conferred upon nursing services regardless of rank (only females until 1976) and comes in two classes (Class I - RRC & Class II - ARRC). It was instituted in 1883 and is still awarded. In the current Order of Precedence it ranks just after the new Conspicuous Gallantry Cross and just before the DSC (Class I) and between the Air Force Cross and the Order of British India (Class II). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 16 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Terry - thanks very much. Des. I'll look out a little bit more then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Desmond Before WW1 this was awarded to a percentage of serving nurses each year - I haven't got the figures in front of me, but it was something in the order of not more than 5% of serving nurses to hold the award at any one time. With the massive increase of numbers of nurses after August 1914, it was decided to divide it into two classes, Royal Red Cross [RRC] or First Class, and Associate [ARRC] or second class. This was announced by the War Office in the Royal Red Cross Warrant of 16th November 1915, and in effect made the First Class award much more valuable, as many Second Class awards were made compared to the number of First Class. To be awarded the RRC you had to have been previously awarded the ARRC, and also had to return one before you received the other! There is an example of one on Ebay at present, with clear photos of both faces - item number - 2232558343 - the starting price seems to be about average for them at present. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 I've found the figures now: The number of awards in the First Class of the Decoration shall not exceed two per cent of the total establishment of Nurses, and the number of awards in the Second Class of the Decoration shall not exceed five per cent of the total establishment of Nurses, the allotments to be proportionate to the numbers of each Nursing Service... Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 16 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Here's the lady herself ... in words at least ... Christine in NZ has already given some other details. I noticed another little paragraph about her award in the 1917 files - it will eventually end up in the ongoing 'snippets' section! Thanks all for information and the link to e-bay! MISS Jean Gilmer, NZANS, only daughter of the late Dr, Robert Gilmer, Ballymena, one of the military sisters selected by the New Zealand Health Department for service under the Imperial Authorities, left Wellington, NZ on January 26th. Miss Gilmer was for some months senior sister in Trentham Military Hospital and for the past six months was in charge of Victoria Military Hospital, Wellington. She must have been a plucky woman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnsonm Posted 17 March , 2004 Share Posted 17 March , 2004 Sue , A Lt Robinson 8th Field Ambulance mentions in a diary of the events in the church at Vailly sur Aisne in September 1914 ' At the School there were five or six young French women who had had some First Aid Training and made themselves very useful under the direction of a middle aged woman who afterwards got the Royal Red Cross on Major Fosters recommendation ' The ADMS of the 3rd Div writes to the GOC 3rd Div also bringing to his attention the work of the French women in the church and school . Would a French civilian be given such an award or was Robinson mistaken . Maurice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 17 March , 2004 Share Posted 17 March , 2004 Maurice He was probably quite correct. Section four of the Warrant states: It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, to confer either Class of this Decoration upon any members of the Nursing Services without restriction as to rank, or upon other persons engaged in nursing duties whether subjects or foreign persons, who may be recommended to Our notice by Our Secretary of State for War or by the First Lord of the Admiralty, as the case may be, for special devotion and competency which they may have displayed in their nursing duties with Our Army in the Field, or in Our Naval and Military Hospitals. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 17 March , 2004 Share Posted 17 March , 2004 Ooooh....just found another long-winded paragraph.... Section 8 .......upon any ladies, whether subjects or foreign persons, who may be recommended to Our notice by Our Secretary of State for War as having voluntarily undertaken the duties of establishing, conducting or assisting in hospitals for the treatment of sick and wounded soldiers and sailors of Our Army and Navy, or of Our Indian Military Forces or of the Naval and Military ;forces of Our Self-governing Dominions beyond the Seas, or as having performed valuable services with the Red Cross or kindred societies at home or abroad, or as having otherwise rendered eminent services in the care of sick and wounded soldiers and sailors of Our Army and Navy...... And it goes on to say that this group will only receive the ARRC Well, it just about seems to cover everybody who ever looked into the face of a wounded soldier! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 17 March , 2004 Share Posted 17 March , 2004 Desmond See this previous thread for pics of the RRC and ARRC. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 17 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 17 March , 2004 Thanks Dave ... but where's the thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnsonm Posted 18 March , 2004 Share Posted 18 March , 2004 Sue Thanks for the information . Will now try to find out whether Madame George , the lady in question I think , did get an award Maurice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 22 March , 2004 Share Posted 22 March , 2004 Desmond Here it is: http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...&hl=malta+cross Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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