War medals of Frances Ivens
Object numberED.CS.2022.4
TitleWar medals of Frances Ivens
CreatorWar Office
DescriptionThree medals belonging to Frances Ivens from left to right they include the Croix de la Legion d’Honneur, the Croix de Guerre with palm, usually given to foreign military units allied to France for performing heroic deeds and being ‘mentioned in dispatches’, and the Medaille d’Honneur des Epidemies, given for medical services during the war and for which Ivens was awarded the gold medal.
Miss Ivens was a qualified Surgeon focusing on Obstetrics and Gynaecology (one of the few surgical fields open to women at the time), she became the first female consultant in Liverpool. Miss Ivens was a member of the Scottish Women's Hospitals set up in World War One (WW1) and built and led the hospital based at Royaumont Abbey, north of Paris in France. In addition the Royaumont team opened another hospital at Villers-Cotterets. This was very close to the front line and was a series of wooden huts.
She was awarded France’s highest order of merit, the Croix de la Legion d’Honneu. With the citation reading:
‘Having ensured, day and night, the treatment of French and Allied wounded during repeated bombardment at Villers Cotterets in May 1918. On the approach of the enemy she withdrew her unit at the last moment to the Abbaye de Royaumont where she continued her humane mission with the most absolute devotion’
The medals were donated alongside archives by the family of Mrs D.O Pym in 2022.
Production placeFRANCE
Production date 1914 - 1919
Production periodFirst World War
Object nameMedals
Object categoryMEDALS and Awards