Document 3.

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MILLIE CAIRNCROSS - ROYAL RED CROSS MEDAL.

Millie Cairncross lived in Wellington. During the SA War 1899-1902 she established a Refreshment stall on the Wellington Railway Station from which she served refreshments to the British troops passing through. As you will know, all trains had to stop at that station. This kindly gesture lasted throughout the war years.

She was subsequently awarded a Royal Red Cross medal.

She was related to the Wood family who lived at Plumstead when I first knew them. My mother was a Merrington and was related to the Woods via her mother who was a Cairncross. On her death, for some good reason, Millie left the Red Cross medal to Charles Wood who in turn left it his sister Gwen Wood who in turn on her death left it to her sister Ella Wood.

You know the story of Bertram Cairncross and the medals. He dearly wanted Millie's medal but Ella was not having that and it going to the Tranvaal so she left it to the Castle Museum in her will. Via another relative still living in Wellington, Ella's death is put at between 1969 and 1970. As far as is known the Medal was passed on to the Castle Museum. Unfortunately this was not checked at that time.

I recently had a brain storm and checked with Natie about its location. He could only trace another Royal Red Cross awarded1 to the wife of a well-known SA Cabinet Minister - name escapes me. I also contacted Mc Bisset who could not remember Millie's medal and to make matters worse there was a gap between him leaving the Castle Museum with the naval goods and Natie taking over. From Mc I understood that between the two of them the remaining item, in the Museum were without a ''caretaker".


1 WW.1 I believe. As you will know the British apparently do not name their medals.
Identification thus is almost impossible;


(The following note appears hand written and dated 3-10-2001.)

Perhaps you will have better luck than I have had.


(From a newspaper clipping:)

“SEVENOAKS CHRONICAL AND KENTISH ADVERTISER

– FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1903.”

DEPARTURE OF MISS CAIRNCROSS.

Miss Cairncross sailed from Tilbury Docks on Tuesday, September 9, 1903, in the Wilcannia, for Cape Town. It would have been very gratifying had the War Office allowed her a free passage home. Application was made to the War Office, and they wrote that a transport would leave on the 25th of September and should there be room for her they would grant the request. About a week or so before the above date Miss Cairncross received a letter that they could not get a berth for her, Miss Cairncross was one of. the first in the noble work at. Wellington, near Cape Town, to assist to provide food and drink, &c., for our Troops, and devoted nearly all her time during the War to that most excellent work. Many of our soldiers will remember the creature comforts they had given them at Wellington station, on their way to and from the War. Had Her Majesty the Queen stayed in London when returning from Ireland Miss Cairncross would have had the great pleasure of an interview with Her Majesty.


(From a newspaper cutting)

THE CAPE ARGUS,

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1901.

ROYAL RED CROSS.

The King has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following, amongst other, appointments:

To have the decoration of the Royal Red Cross : - The Hon. Mrs Agnes Mary Goldman, Mrs Gunning, Mrs. Masslorp, Mrs. Wilman, and Miss Cairncross.


(No newspaper heading supplied with this cutting, but it would have been circa August 1902.)

ROYAL RED CROSS

PRESENTATION AT WYNBERG

Royal Red Cross which was instituted on St. Georges Day, 1883, by her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, “for zeal and devotion in providing for and nursing sick and wounded sailors, soldiers, and others with the army in the field, on board ship or in hospitals," was presented yesterday to Miss Garriock, Lady Superintendent of No. 1 General Hospital, Wynberg, and to two civilian ladies whose services up-country have been, greatly valued - Mrs. Maarsdorp and Miss Cairncross. Superintendent Garriock held her position throughout the campaign during which time she has seen to the nursing of about 2,000 sick and wounded and her services are held in the very highest estimation. She sometimes had a hundred nursing sisters under her control, but there has never the slightest difficulty in the arrangements. The work of the other two ladies has been of a different nature. Miss Cairncross was at Wellington, for some time and there she was to be seen meeting trains both at day and night, providing refreshments for the soldiers passing through the station and supplying medical comforts for the sick and wounded. Mrs. Maasdorp rendered similar valuable services

The honours were conferred yesterday morning by Surgeon-General McNamara, C.B., C.M.G., P.M.O., of the Cape Colony District, with Lieut-Colonel C, P.M.O., of No. 1 General Hospital supporting. The adult schoolroom had been decorated for the occasion with bunting of various kinds, and greenery, and the event was both interesting and striking. A score or more of nursing sisters with their uniforms of blue, aprons and headgear of spotless white, and little scarlet caps (???) in the first few rows, next were officers and men of the R.A.M.C., in khaki with the convalescents, dressed in their (???) clothing, formed up in the rear.

Surgeon-General McNamara, previous to presenting the gold enamelled crosses gave Expression to a few fitting remarks. The absence of Major-General Sir Henry Settle, K.C. B.D.S.O., who was to have performed the ceremony was accounted for by the stress of labours incurred in connection with the demobilisation of troops and the Coronation celebrations. The District P.M.O., however, was honoured in being deputed to present the decorations, which were given by His Majesty the King to the three ladies who had distinguished themselves in doing such splendid work. It was unnecessary, he said, to inform soldiers of the great value nursing sisters, both Civilian and military, had been during the campaign. Soldiers from all parts of the country spoke of the kindness received at their hand. As a medical man he himself knew the worth, and he always felt satisfied the patient would be kindly treated when he was attended by a nursing sister. These ladies said it was a pleasure to do things for soldiers as there were no finer gentlemen in the land. That was true and although a soldier was a gentleman, at all times, he always put on an extra polish in the presence of ladies. He now had great pleasure in presenting the medals to the three ladies singled out by His Majesty the King for the honour. (applause).

Three very hearty cheers were then given to the three ladies who so appropriately represented, "Faith, Hope and Charity".


(In an almost identically worded article, from THE BORDER COUNTIES ADVERTISER, dated August 20, 1902, there appears this additional short paragraph.)

Last autumn we gave some account of the kindnesses shown by Miss Cairncross to members of the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry, and many of the force who remembers her kindness, will, we are sure, be glad to hear of the honour done her.

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