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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 370

A Pembroke Dockyards bombing B.E.M. group of three awarded to Serving Sister I. P. Hammond Superintendent of the Pembroke Dock Division St. John Ambulance Brigade who was on duty when a bomb struck the Admiralty Oil Tanks at Pembroke Dock causing an 18 day inferno, fought by over 650 firemen with 13 George Crosses awarded for the incident

The Venerable Order of St. John, Wartime (Skeleton) issue breast Badge, on ladies bow riband; British Empire Medal, G.VI.R. (Irene P. Mrs. Hammond); Defence Medal 1939-45, mounted court style for display, contact marks, edge bruising, nearly very fine (3)

B.E.M. London Gazette 9 January 1946.

Irene Phyllis Hammond was born 23 June 1902 and lived at 40 Argyle Street, Pembroke with her husband Leopold R. Hammond, a Newspaper Director prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Serving as Superintendent of the Pembroke Dock Division St. John Ambulance Brigade she had an important role to play during the heavy bombing raids of 1941, this work was particularly arduous and often distressing, as In Harm’s Way by Vernon Scott states:

‘Other angels of mercy were the St John Ambulance Division under Mrs Phyllis Hammond, Nurse Knight and Doctor Evan Jones, and Mrs Greathead’s Pembroke Red Cross detachment. This detachment did day duty at its Pennar post throughout the fire, while the St John Division was on duty day and night in Pennar.'

A member of the St John team, Miss Sally Peel- Hobson (later MRs Neil), recalled “During the long hours firemen would come in dog-tired, grimy and dripping with perspiration. I remember their anxiety on the day the Cardiff Firemen were killed. Our worse night was when the message came through that Temperance Hall had been bombed. Not long afterwards at least 30 very traumatised firemen arrived from the hall, or what was left of it. They had cuts and bruised, and their uniforms were plastered with dust and embedded with tiny splinters of glass. Even in their shocked state they were all aware they’d had a very close brush with death’

Hammond was further honoured on 26 June 1944 when the Priory awarded her a Vote of Thanks and again after the war when she was made a serving sister on 29 May 1947. She was later made a member of the Borough Council in May 1950 but died not long later on 9 July 1959 at 50 Argyle Street, Pembroke; sold together with St. John Ambulance War Service badge, the reserve number '597' as well as copied research including newspaper extracts, London Gazette entries and typed research as well as a copy of In Harm’s Way.

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Sold for
£1,000

Starting price
£350