Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An extremely rare ‘Korean War’ group of three awarded to Senior Nursing Sister Miss Mary E. Hereford, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (Snr. N.S. M. E. Hereford. Q.A.R.N.N.S.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed as issued, good very fine (3) £1,000-£1,400

One of only 13 Korea Medals awarded to Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service.

Mary Elizabeth Hereford was born in Hereford in 1917 and served with Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service in Korea in H.M. Hospital Ship Maine. When the Korean War broke out the Maine was at Kobe, Japan, with units of the British Far East Fleet; the complement of nurses in the ship, under a Superintendent Matron, was six, together with six members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment. Placed under United States operational control on 14 July 1950, she was used for transporting wounded mostly from Pusan to Osaka or Kobe in Japan. Altogether nine voyages were made, the last returning to Kobe on 1 October 1950, before the ship was withdrawn for refit at Hong Kong. Those who served after the refit received the U.N. Medal only.

Mary Hereford subsequently married Lieutenant-Commander R. K. Wood, R.N., and died in Plymouth on 15 August 2009.

Sold with copied research including photographic images of the recipient and of H.M.H.S. Maine.