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Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 547

The remarkable campaign group of five awarded to Sister E. Carter, Territorial Army Nursing Service, who was killed by 'strangulation' on 19 February 1944 and buried at the Kohima War Cemetery

1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-1945; The Alice Long Nursing Medal 1919, reverse engraved 'Norfolk and Norwich Hospital - Awarded to Nurse Ethel Carter For General Proficiency 1938', silver, hallmarked for Birmingham 1938, with silver top bar and reverse pin for wear, framed and glazed for display, with silver 'General Nursing Council for England and Wales' badge above and certified copy of her death certificate below, some light adhesive marks to reverses of medals for mounting otherwise extremely fine and rare (7)

Provenance:
Morton & Eden December 2019.

Ethel Carter was born at Middlesborough, Yorkshire on 29 April 1912, the daughter of Francis and Mary Ann Carter, of the Kennels, Warrenby Road, Redcar, Yorkshire. Finding work as a Nurse prior to her war service she spent time at Norfolk and Norwich hospitals before being mobilised in January 1941. Commissioned Sister on 30 May 1941 she served in North Africa and Burma during her career.

Carter met her end in Burma under somewhat mysterious circumstances, listed as 'strangulation' on her death certificate. Some sources have pointed to military records which state that she was shot by the Japanese along with a minister of religion. However the only documentation available states 'strangulation' additionally the casualty role states that Carter 'died' rather than being killed in action suggesting her death could not be attributed to the enemy.

Regardless of the circumstances of her death Carter holds the somewhat dubious distinction of being the only woman buried at Garrison Hill, the Kohima War Cemetery. As stated in the Journal of the Burma Star Association which states:

'Any information regarding the late Siter Ethel Carter T.A. Nursing Service, the only lady buried in the cemetery on Garrison Hill is sought by G. Contantinos…'

Sold together with copied research.

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Estimate

Starting price
£210