Andrew Hesketh Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Nurse E. M. Chambers, of Abergele, was awarded the 'Mons Ribbon'. She was a Nurse by profession and volunteered her services early in the war - certainly prior to Jan 1915. She was serving at Bangor Military Hospital in March 1918. A 'Mons Ribbon' - was this issued with the same criteria as the 1914 Star? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 not heard of one - unless it was in reference to getting the medal ribbon prior to getting the actual medal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Hi, never heard of the mons ribbon but as she has a MIC its possible she won either the 1914 star or 15 star.The award are the same criteria for soldiers and nurses. Im sure Sue Light will have a recoerd of her. Description Medal card of Chambers, Eleanor M Corps Regiment No Rank Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service British Red Cross Society Nursing Sister St Johns Nurses Nursing Sister Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/23 Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War Piece Women's Services, Distinguished Conduct Medals and Military Medals Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Excellent, thanks chaps. Glad I wasn't alone in wondering what it was! I am hoping that Sue drops in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indunna Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 found this hopes it of help - Jennifer The Brittish journal of nursing - Volume 53, 7th November 1914 (p362) ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION, The following nurses have recently been sent abroad by the St. John Ambulance Association To Dunkirk.-To the British Field Hospital : Miss C. Mayne and Miss A. Scanlan. Care of The Duchess of Sutherland : Miss Heron-Watson. To Calais.-To the Baltic Exchange Hospital : Misses G. Ryder, F. E. Wood, J. McGeorge and A. Barron. Also Missses A. C. Beverley, E. Charteris, E. M. Chambers, M. W. Corner, M. E. D'Arcy, B. Denyer, A. Franklin, M. Erances, A. K. Harris, Moore, Peach, Stead, Thornton, G. I.Wilson, E. R. Wortabet, N. S. Worsley, G. Green, K. Waldron, and M. A. Hayes. To Boulogne.-To be drafted into War Office Hospitals: Misses E. Rash, N. Ritchie, E. Ritchie, C. Maclean, E. Downing, F. M. Pochin, S. G. Williams, S. Stuart, L. H. de Gruchy, M. Frost, M. Lyal Wilson, M. M. Saville, E. Stronach, M. E. James, I. Taylor, M. Netherwood, A. Doughty, Mahoney, M. Machoan, L. M. Browne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Dates and Calais would suggest a 1914 star award is highly likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Andrew The term 'Mons Ribbon' was very common 'nurse speak' during the war, and does apply to the 1914 Star. As soon as the ribbons were issued, there are frequent references in nursing documents and articles to the 'Mons Star' and to the 'Mons Ribbon' as soon as the nurses received it. A search of the British Journal of Nursing will give some examples. Not having considered the question before, it seems surprising now that the term was not commonplace among soldiers as well. The woman in question is Eleanor M. Chambers, who [as the previous entry indicates] went to France in November 1914 as a Nursing Sister with St. John's Ambulance Brigade, working at No.8 British Red Cross Hospital [baltic and Corn Exchange] then in Calais, and later moving to Paris Plage. Many of the trained nurses there later transferred to Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Reserve, if their qualifications met the War Office criteria, so I guess that Eleanor Chambers was one of these. Unfortunately she doesn't appear to have a QAIMNSR service file in WO399, but some were later destroyed, particularly if the women died prior to 1930, or married/moved overseas. However, her initial service with BRCS/SJAB should mean that the British Red Cross Archives will have a record of her early service. British Journal of Nursing British Red Cross Society Archives Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Jennifer and Sue - many, many thanks for providing such wonderful extra detail. On a slightly wider question, the receipt of the Mons Ribbon is mentioned in a newspaper cutting of March 1918. Clearly this does not prove that the ribbon was received in that month, but as reporting this fact is the reason for the brief article (there is nothing else to note in it) it does suggest strongly that the ribbon was received c. March 1918. So, was it common for the ribbons to start appearing in 1918 to both women and men? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigantian Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Andrew Just checked The Times Digital Archive. The earliest relevant references I could find are: An Officer's obituary on 22nd March 1918 which states that he held the 'Mons Star'. An article on 27th March 1918 referring to two discharged wounded soldiers who 'hold the Mons ribbon'. Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Mark - many thanks. It would appear that the ribbons/stars began appearing in early 1918 then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Bagshaw Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 (edited) Sure i read somewhere once that the Mons Star first started appearing in 1917, will see if i can find anything........... From Wikipedia, our old friend, confirms 1917: Mons Star Edit: First introduced April 1917 Edited 4 August , 2007 by Anthony Bagshaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Wikipedia. Must be true then! Cheers Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Im sure they were worn in Blackadder in 1917 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 the Ribbons were being worn in 1917[1914 Star},issue of the medal proper; announced in the previous year was begun in 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 The master has spoken! Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Not sure about April 1917? I thought the 1914 Star was instituted by Army Order AO 350 dated 24th November 1917. How many women qualified for the clasp and roses having been under fire. Some Field ambulances and casualty clearing hospitals qualified. Did they have female nurses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 5 August , 2007 Share Posted 5 August , 2007 How many women qualified for the clasp and roses having been under fire. Some Field ambulances and casualty clearing hospitals qualified. Did they have female nurses? No female nurses were attached to Field Ambulances prior to 22 November 1914. There were some in Casualty Clearing Stations, but [as far as I am aware] none that would have qualified them for the clasp. The first appointment of nurses to CCSs was on 30/10/14, and they were allocated as follows: No.4 CCS, Poperinghe on 30/10/14 No.1 CCS, St. Omer on 1/11/14 No.3 CCS, Hazebrouck on 5/11/14 No.5 CCS, Hazebrouck on 5/11/14 No.2 CCS, Bailleul on 10/11/14 The next allocation was not until 25/11/14 [Merville] which then took them outside the qualifying dates. However, there were a handful working on Ambulance Trains who might have qualified. While the war was still being fought on the Aisne, nurses were going down on a couple of trains - the staff of one train was detained for some days at Braisne waiting to evacuate from No.4 CCS, and the staff of No.7 Ambulance Train was held at Fere en Tardenois waiting for the removal north of of No.2 CCS. I think if any nurses qualified for the clasp, it would have been these, but with three nurses per train it would not add up to more than 9-12. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 5 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2007 Thank you all for your ideas and expertise. Although this has gone way beyond my original question this thread has been very enlighteneing for me. Feel free to take it wherever it wants to go next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indunna Posted 5 August , 2007 Share Posted 5 August , 2007 Australian Casualty Clearing Stations - Casualty Clearing Stations These were small hospitals generally located at a railhead or similar transportation hub in forward areas. Their job was to provide emergency treatment and to move casualties back to the stationary and general hospitals. - AANS Nurses served in these units 1st Casualty Clearing Station (Tasmania) Formed Tasmania August 1914. Departed Melbourne Kyarra November 1914. Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front 2nd Casualty Clearing Station Formed Melbourne 8 October 1915. Departed Melbourne October 1915. Closed 28 February 1919. Egypt, Western Front 3rd Casualty Clearing Station Formed 17 March 1916. Departed Melbourne Medic 20 May 1916 and Sydney Borda 5 June 1916. Closed 26 April 1919. Egypt, Western Front ref: Austrlain WW1 Medical Units - http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/~rmallett/Medical.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 6 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 6 August , 2007 Today I came across a copy of a long letter written from the front by Nurse Chambers in 1915 which decscribes some of her experiences. If anyone is interested I'll scan and post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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