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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 320

The 1936 Palestine Military Division O.B.E., 1942 R.R.C., 1945 Second Award Bar group of ten awarded Chief Principal Matron W. M. Coulthurst, Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type, breast badge; Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.VI.R. 1st issue, silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, reverse dated ‘1942’, with Second Award Bar, reverse dated ‘1945’; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Matron W. M. Coulthurst. P.M.R.A.F.N.S.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935, mounted as worn by Spink & Son Ltd, St. James, good very fine (10)

O.B.E. London Gazette, 11 May 1937.

'In recognition of valuable services rendered in the field in connection with the operations in Palestine during the period April - October 1936.'

R.R.C. London Gazette, 1 January 1942.

'Miss Coulthurst opened the R.A.F. Hospital, Littleport, at the outbreak of war with speed and efficiency. She was posted to Torquay in April 1940, and has since maintained a high standard of efficiency.'

R.R.C. Second Award Bar London Gazette, 14 June 1945.

'Operational Commands 1 August 1944 - 31 January 1945 - Middle East. This lady was appointed Chief Principal Matron in March, 1944 and since then she has visited all hospitals and units where personnel of P.M.R.A.F.N.S. are serving in the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Iraq and Aden. She has dealt with many problems in the most tactful and understanding manner and has been a great help to the Matrons in opening up new general hospitals in India. Miss Coulthurst has been a tower of strength to the Nursing Service in overseas commands.'

Of the hundreds of R.R.C.s with Bar, only four were awarded to members of the P.M.R.A.F.N.S. Equally, only 39 General Service Medals with clasp 'Palestine' were awarded to this unit.

Winifred Maud Coulthurst was born in Salford in 1887 and was appointed Sister in the Royal Air Force Nursing Service 20 May 1920, later Senior Sister in the P.M.R.A.F.N.S. on 1 January 1930. She served in Iraq, Aden and Palestine prior to the war, being further advanced Acting Matron on 1 July 1930 and Matron on 1 January 1932.

Upon the outbreak of war she was transferred to the Torquay Palace Hotel Convalescent Hospital. In Sky Wards, A History of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service, author Mary Mackie writes:

'The hospital became known for its lively and optimistic atmosphere. BBC correspondent Macdonald Hastings, writing in London Calling, the overseas journal of the BBC, in October 1941, describes it as being like a country club, but with incomparable amenities: 'wooded grounds with velvet lawns, tropical trees, luxurious flower beds... golf course, tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pool, archery butts, and gymnasium.'

This is contrasted with the events of 25 October 1942:

'A Sunday morning, around 1100hrs. Most of the patients were in their rooms, shaving, dressing or reading Sunday papers. Domestic staff tidied up, kitchen hands prepared Sunday lunch, and nurses readied themselves for doctors' rounds. Fred Payne, gowned and masked, was assisting in the operating theatre. Fluffy Ogilvie was on the first floor... As Fluffy and the MO went into the patients' room, 'we both saw, through the large windows, German planes, with their Swastikas clearly visible. There was no time to be brave or heroic, we dived under the bed...'

After preliminary machine-gun strafing, the enemy dropped high-explosive 500 kilo bombs. The first scored a direct hit on the east wing. The second landed in the road, its blast shattering windows, doors and partitions in the west wing and severely damaging the operating theatre. Lamps over the operating table fell on to the unconscious patient and a door flew across the room and knocked out Fred Payne.

The floor where Fluffy Ogilvie had taken cover lost its door and windows. Rain and cold air rushed in, but all four patients, plus doctor and nurse, had survived. The latter pair dashed out into the hall to find 'dust and rubble everywhere and, where there had been a further room, just one big gaping hole... The first body we came to was that of 'Tinkle' Bell. I saw her hand and arm sticking out beneath the heavy masonry. I also saw... two bodies which seemed to be hanging from the girder. The bomb had gone through all the floors down to the basement...'

Two platoons of the local home guard had been carrying out exercises close by. Two of their number died in the attack but the rest came to help, along with local air raid precaution volunteers... Through the rubble and dust, shivering against the cold winds that swept through shattered windows and gaping holes in brickwork, men carried laden stretchers to where doctors and nurses made rapid diagnoses, applied dressings and splints, and administered what drugs they could; amid such chaos and destruction they could offer little more than first aid....

Nineteen people died, one was missing, another forty-five suffered injury. Had it not been a Sunday, casualties would have been even worse because many patients would have been in the basement gymnasium and its milk bar, which had been flattened." (Sky Wards, A History of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service, Mary Mackie refers)

Coulthurst was advanced Chief Principal Matron in March 1944 and remained stationed overseas until retiring 16 January 1947. She died at the Royal Infirmary, Manchester in April 1950.

Sold together with an archive, comprising:

i)
Riband Bar as worn.

ii)
Named Buckingham Palace enclosure sent with R.R.C. Second Award Bar.

iii)
Air Ministry letter of appreciation upon Coulthurst's retirement, signed Philip Noel-Baker, Secretary of State for Air, 16 January 1947.

iv)
Newspaper cuttings and photographs of Coulthurst.

v)
Copied research notes.

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Estimate
£3,000 to £5,000

Starting price
£2800