A Collection of Medals for the Anglo-Boer War

Eight: Staff Nurse Anna Katharine Statham, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve, discharged in January 1917 suffering from ‘delusional insanity’

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Nursing Sister A. K. Statham); King’s South Africa 1901-02, no clasp (Nursing Sister A. K. Statham); 1914-15 Star (S/Nurse A. K. Statham, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.); British War and Victory Medals (S. Nurse A. K. Statham) mounted court style for display; Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve Cape Badge, silver, reverse numbered, ‘66’; Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Cape Badge, silver, suspension repaired, worn through polishing; Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve Cape Badge, silver, with two Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. badges, very fine and better except where stated (10) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals for the Anglo-Boer War.

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Anna Katharine Statham was born in Furnditch, Derbyshire in 1865. She and her sisters were educated privately at Miss Elizabeth Robinson’s School at Alston Court, Cheltenham, Gloucester. She later trained for Nursing at the Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. She joined the Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. on 21 October 1898 and served in South Africa, 9 November 1899-22 May 1902. Whilst in South Africa she contracted enteric fever and was admitted to the Civilian Hospital, Johannesburg on 28 November 1901 and thence to the Lotus Convalescent Home in February 1902, after which she was invalided to England. After recovering from the effects of the disease she returned to nursing in South Africa.

As a Staff Nurse with the Q.A.I.M.N.S.R., Miss Statham entered the Egypt theatre of war on 31 July 1915 and was subsequently working at a prisoner-of-war hospital. In December 1916, when still serving in Egypt, Nursing Sister Statham fell ill and was the subject of a Medical Board held at the 19th General Hospital, Alexandria. Increasingly morose and taciturn; it was found that she was suffering from ‘Delusional Insanity’. Amongst her delusions was the belief that her food was being poisoned; that she was being mesmerised by one of the medical officers and that the other patients were conspiring together to turn her into a ‘golliwog’. In January 1917 she was invalided together with an attendant to Southampton, England aboard the Marama and thence to the Vincent Square Hospital, London for treatment. Her engagement as a member of the Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. was terminated, dated 3 January 1917. Her home address was given as 29 Ashburn Place, South Kensington, London, S.W.

Awarded the Princess Christian Army Nursing Service Reserve Badge, number ‘66’ c.1932.

With a quantity of copied service papers re. her sicknesses in South Africa and Egypt, copied m.i.c. and other notes.