Medal group to Nurse Annie Elizabeth Brewer with Legion d'Ho...

Estimate

£4,500 - £4,500

Medal group to Nurse Annie Elizabeth Brewer with Legion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre (1914-1917 with oak leaf, 1914-1918 with oak leaf), Medal of French Gratitude type 1 (2), Médaille militaire (3rd Republic), Medal of Honour of Epidemics (reverse marked Miss Nancy Brewer 1918), 1914 Star Trio with clasp to Annie Elizabeth Brewer (BWM & Victory marked A.E. Brewer.), plus enamel pilgrims badge and ribbon bar with oak leaf, included copied MIC and citation, mixed condition, presented in padded wooden case.

Annie Elizabeth Brewer, mostly known as Nancy, born 21st November 1874. Aged 24 she qualified as a nurse for 'insane persons', working across many hospitals in Britain eventually ventured to France as a personal nurse.
While in Paris war broke out and she joined the French nursing and ambulance services, the Fondation Baye, courageously serving in several infamous battles such as the Marne, Somme and Verdun, it is recorded she helped with 229 operations in 7 days at the battle of Verdun. Working so close to the frontlines Nancy was injured by enemy shellfire while treating a soldier in an ambulance resulting in wounds to her head and leg, this led to serious strain and illness for a period of time but valiantly insisted on returning to duty once recovered. A lighter note, on the Verdun battlefield she married French Ambulance driver Daniel Mistrick and after the war decided to remain in Europe only returning home to Newport to nurse her ailing mother, but herself was seriously ill from Bright's disease, sadly passing on 30th January 1921 aged 46. Nancy is buried at Saint Woolos Cemetery, however there is a campaign to add Nancy to The Commonwealth War Graves register, in 2014 the BBC also aired a documentary called "Annie's War: A Welsh Nurse on the Western Front" and since been awarded a Blue Plaque on West Street in her home city. (B)