University of Edinburgh Medals
Object numberED.CS.2017.10
TitleUniversity of Edinburgh Medals
DescriptionThree bronze medals, presented to Hilta Ines Christina Pfister (1898-1944).
Ines was a woman of many talents. She first graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1920, Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in French and German. She then went on study at the University of Edinburgh, achieving a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, First Class with Honours in 1925. At the Graduation ceremony, Ines received three awards, winning every single prize available to a female student at the time: The Scottish Association for Medical Education of Women Prize (Awarded to the most distinguished woman M.B., Ch.B. graduate of the year); M’Cosh Graduates and Medical Bursaries; and The Dorothy Gilfillan Memorial Prize (awarded to the woman student most distinguished in the final M.B., Ch.B. examination).
Also donated were documents including birth certificates, graduation papers and her PhD (all in the RCSEd Archive)
In 1927 she completed a PhD at Birmingham University on the distribution of the elastic tissue in the blood vessels in birds.
In June 1944 she was travelling with her husband, Lieutenant-Commander Morley, on board the SS Columbine, a South African steam merchant ship sailing off the coast of Cape Columbine, when it was hit by a torpedo from U-boat U-198 . In heavy swells, their life boat capsized but was eventually righted. The survivors spent the night aboard, with Ines leading the singing of popular songs to keep spirits up (despite suffering from acute rheumatism). By noon the next day, fourteen had died from exposure. Without enough life jackets to go round the couple decided to give theirs to other survivors: “They then jumped overboard, waved farewells and disappeared. The others were too weak to attempt rescue.”
Production date 1925 - 1925
Production periodTwentieth century, early
Object nameMedals
Object categoryMiscellaneous
MaterialBronze