A scarce British 'Nurse' Great War medal pair with French Red Cross Society 'Special Service Insignia': Ms Beatrice Ada Cole, French Red Cross Society late British Red Cros Society & later Club Leader, Young Womens Christian Association, at Boulogne

- British War Medal. Silver issue (B. A. Cole.)
- Interallied Victory Medal (B. A. Cole.
- French Red Cross Society 'Special Service Insignia' 1914-1918

Sold together with:

- Companion Great War medal riband bar. 2 x 'moire' watered silk ribands, on mounting bar that retains its original long hinged pin & clasp fittings, as-worn

Medals verification: The Great War campaign medals & clasp confirmed as entitled per the respective medal rolls of the British Committee French Red Cross, compiled and signed in London on, 24 February 1921, cited below:

- British War Medal. Silver issue: Ref WO 329/2323. 'Nurse' served in theatre France 0ctober 1915 to November 1918
- Interallied Victory Medal: Ref WO 329/2323. 'Nurse' served in theatre France 0ctober 1915 to November 1918

Important: A second medal roll entry exists for Beatrice Ada Cole (ref WO 329/2543) which shows application for 'War Medal' only - for service as Club Leader of Young Women's Christian Association, at Boulogne, France. This roll shows she served in theatre 'France' between, 5 March to 6 July 1918 only with the Young Women's Christian Association. Albeit the YWCA medal roll was compiled and signed earlier 29 September 1919, it is unlikely that she was ever issued a single BWM from that source as the Medal Index Card shows no medal roll reference and has under remarks 'H.O. Pending Application'

Beatrice Ada Cole, daughter of Henry Hardy Cole (A Royal Engineers Officer, of the Indian Army) & Catherine Jane Cole (nee Cooper, an Irish woman from Co. Sligo), was born in Simla, British India, on, 31 December 1878. She was just one of several children born to the Cole family in India. Her brother was Brian Lytton Cole, 13th Rajputs, severely wounded Tanga 'Battle of the Bees' November 1914, author of the Indian Army Handbook on 'Rajputs', confidant and personal mentor to the Royal Princes of Ajmer and Jaipur, and late Commanding Officer 4th Battalion 6th Rajputana Rifles. Beatrice appears to have relocated to England with her mother and sisters, as she appears resident in the England National Census returns for 1901 & 1911. Beatrice served in France during the Great War when she was employed firstly as a Nurse with the British Committee of the French Red Cross, and latterly in 1918 as Club Leader of the Young Womens Christian Association at Boulogne, France. During her service in France as a Nurse, she was decorated with the 'Special Service Insignia' of the French Red Cross Society, a rare seen official award to British nationals. Beatrice appears to have remained un-married, and by the time of the compilation of the 1939 National Register for England & Wales, she was living at 'The Vicarage', Church Road, North Leigh, England, where her younger sister (Alice Cole, described as a Hospital Secretary) also resided. Under the remarks column, is the note that Beatrice was also a Voluntary War Worker at the nearby Hospital Depot. Sometime after 1939, Beatrice re-located to Scotland, where she lived at, 37 Cluny Road, Edinburgh, and where she is recorded as having died on, 6 November 1966. A the time of her death, her executor was named as, Dr. Winifred Margaret Cole, OstJ, KIH, Scottish Missionary and her widowed sister-in-law.

The medals mounted in the swing-style as worn, on stitched ribands

Rare seen to a British Nurse with the original - and official - French Red Cross Society 'Special Insignia', this retaining its original hinged pin fastener on the reverse, as issued

Condition: BWM toned the pair EF

Code: 22509