An outstanding Collection of Awards relating to the Order of St John

The impressive C.B.E., O.B.E., O. St. J. group of eighteen awarded to Miss Sydney Jeannetta Warner, Director, Dominion and Foreign Relations Department, British Red Cross Society

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 2nd type lady’s shoulder badge, silver-gilt and enamel, mounted ‘bow and tails’, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type lady’s shoulder badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1918, on bow ribbon, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Officer’s (Sister) badge, silver and enamel, on bow ribbon; British War and Victory Medals (S. J. Warner, V.A.D.); Order of the League of Mercy, badge, silver-gilt and enamel, on bow ribbon; Belgium, Red Cross Decoration, 1st Class, gilt base metal and enamel, obverse centre loose; Denmark, King’s Medal of Recompense, Christian X, silver-gilt medal with crown, in case of issue; Denmark, Red Cross Commemorative Medal for Relief Work during World War II, silver and enamel; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, on bow ribbon; France, Red Cross Medal, gilt, reverse inscribed, ‘Miss S. I. Warner (sic)’; Greece, Royal Order of the Phoenix, Commander’s shoulder badge, silver-gilt and enamel, mounted ‘bow and tails’, with Spink, London ‘Commander’s’ case, with neck cravat; Greece, Hellenic Red Cross Decoration, 5th Class, Medal, enamelled, reverse inscribed, ‘Th. S. J. Warner, 1946’; Netherlands, Order of Orange Nassau, Commander’s shoulder badge, silver-gilt and enamel, mounted ‘bow and tails’, in case of issue; Norway, Order of St. Olav, 3rd type, Knight 1st Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in Spink, London case of issue; Norway, Red Cross Decoration, silver-gilt and enamel, in Tostrup, Oslo case of issue; Sweden, Red Cross Medal, Gustaf V, silver-gilt, reverse inscribed, ‘S. J. Warner, 1949’; U.S.A., American National Red Cross Medal, silver base metal and enamel, reverse inscribed, ‘To Miss S. J. Warner, For Distinguished Service, The American National Red Cross’; together with an unknown decoration, enamelled; and two Belgian ‘Red Cross’ medallions, circular, 69mm., bronze, obverse: a high relief bust of Queen Elizabeth, reverse: a Geneva Cross, ‘Sa Majeste La Reine Elisabeth Presidente d’Honeur de la Croix-Rouge de Belgique’, additionally inscribed, ‘Miss J. Warner - 1955’, in Fonson, Brussels case of issue; another, square, 65 x 65mm., bronze, obverse: a man, woman and infant superimposed on a Geneva Cross, with helping hands to either side, reverse: ‘Croix Rouge de Belgique’ (bilingual), additionally inscribed, ‘Miss S. J. Warner’; also with a metal brooch inscribed, ‘Miss S. J. Warner, Great Britain’, extremely fine except where stated (22) £1500-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An outstanding Collection of Awards relating to the Order of St John.

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C.B.E. (civil) 1 January 1946. ‘Director Foreign Relations Department Joint War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John.’

O.B.E. (mil.) London Gazette 9 May 1919. ‘... in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the War.’ ‘Miss Sydney Jeannetta Warner, Deputy Assistant Director, WRNS’

O. St. J. (Commander) London Gazette 8 July 1947.

Norway, Order of St. Olav, Knight 1st Class London Gazette 11 June 1946.

Netherlands, Order of Orange Nassau, Commander London Gazette 30 January 1948.

Sydney Jeannetta Warner was born on 13 June 1890, the sister of Sir Christopher Ashton Warner, G.B.E., K.C.M.G., and was educated at home and in Germany. She served as British Red Cross Commandant, 1910-17; Area V.A.D. Commandant in France, 1915-17, based at St. Omer and then Le Havre, and then Deputy Assistant Director of Personnel in the W.R.N.S., 1917-19, for which she was awarded the military O.B.E. in 1919. After the war she worked for the League of Nations Union, 1919-28, serving on several committees of the League of Nations. She was later a Member of Staff of the International Office of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. 1928-36. With the coming of the Second World War she rejoined the British Red Cross Society and became the Director of the Dominion and Foreign Relations Department of the Society. In that capacity she was awarded the civil C.B.E. in 1946 and a number of foreign orders and medals by grateful allied governments and organisations. Latterly living at 33 Moore Street, Chelsea; Miss Warner died on 25 March 1979. With copied research.