1911 Coronation Medal: Police Ambulance

[Charles P. McDowell]

The history of the Police Ambulance service is quite interesting, and their 1911 Coronation Medal is quite scarce. Does anyone know if there is a roll of its recipients? Or, alternatively, is the a roster of the members of the Police Ambulance service in 1911 that might enable us to back into a roll?

[Mervyn Mitton]

Charles - welcome to GMIC. There were a number of smaller organisations - usually overlooked -

that were awarded the Coronation medal in 1911.

Additional to the Police Ambulance - the St. John's Ambulance also received an award. Again a small

number - I have one in a military group.

Perhaps members can suggest some other examples ? Mervyn

[Odin Mk 3]

I have a few names for the 1897 and 1902 Medals to the PAS (but not a complete roll). Unfortunately I have nothing for the 1911 Medal. For the earlier medals some of the PAS issue went to men who were serving in the London Volunteer Companies of the RAMC. This was possibly also the case for the 1911 Medal.

The numbers issued for the 1911 Medal are not shown in Medal Year Book - just a combined list with the SJAB, St Andrew Amb Assn and Police Ambulance Service. However I have some papers from the Receiver's Office of the Met Police which show the engraving costs and therefore givesthe number of medals engraved (so identifying how many were issued)

St John Ambulance Brigade 2755 - 28.06.12

St Andrew Ambulance Association 310 - 13.06.12

Police Ambulance Service 130 - 13.06.12

The dates are the final dates of issue for these medals (approx 1 year after the event).

Incidentally the engraving of all 1911 Police Issue Medals (inc Fire Brigade and City of London Police) was managed by the Receiver's Office. The medals cost 5d each (2p) for the engraving and were issued with 9 inches of ribbon (@ 1s 3d per yard (6p).

[Charles P. McDowell]

Thank you - that is very useful information. If there is a roster of members of officers assigned to Police Ambulance duty as of 1912, that should enable us to back into a pretty good roll...? Do you know if they were were part of the City of London Police or the Met? I'm sorry I don't have a more knowledgeable background, but my experience has been with American police work, and I'm just now getting into the 1911 Police Coronation area in a serious way. I have collected those medals for a long time and only recently was able to pick up the medals to the RIC, St. Andrews Ambulance and the Police Ambulance. Now I am hot to more research. I appreciate (and welcome) any tips and info!

[Odin Mk 3]

I think the link is more likely to be to the Met Police than the City of London force, which was relatively small compared to the Met . I have looked at the information I have on the 1897 Jubilee Medal for Police Ambulance Service. There were issued to the following:

Hospital Association Ambulance Service: 1 Hon Sec, 5 Sisters, 49 Commissionaires (mostly Ptes), 16 Divisonal Surgeons, 7 Medical Officers, 1 Volunteer Surgeon.

I assume these Divisonal Surgeons acting like Police Surgeons.

The awards for 1902 appear to cover wider groups including men serving with Volunteer Forces (the forerunners to the Territorial Army). Their equivalents in 1897 appear to have received the SJAB issue of the medal and not the PAS issue.