A fine and rare Second World War Cairo female civilian’s group with extensive documentation and archive of ephemera, as awarded to Mrs Phyllis Josephine Hughes, nee Murdock, British Red Cross Society and St. John War Organisation Middle East Commission No.17 (Cairo) Area Welfare Group, who had command of Working Parties of volunteer women who provided comfort and welfare to the troops, notably the Australian and New Zealand Forces, from whom she received much praise and thanks for all her efforts between 1940 and 1945. She was latterly known to Robert G. Menzies, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, and was invited by the Commonwealth of Australia to attend the unveiling and dedication of the Eighth Army Memorial Window in the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Cairo in March 1951. Her husband, Brigadier Cyril Emerson Hughes, C.B.E., Australian Military Forces, Imperial War Graves Commission and the Australian Government Commissioner Middle East, appears to have been stationed with her in Egypt, he having originally seen service with the Australian Light Horse during the First World War.
Group of 3: 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; War Medal. Together with the War Office card box of issue, this addressed to: ‘Mrs. P. Hughes, “Nile View”, 18 Sharia Serayel, Gezira, Cairo.’
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Together with the following quantity of original documentation and ephemera:
An exceedingly rare British Red Cross Society and St. John War Organisation Middle East Commission No.17 (Cairo) Area Welfare Group cap badge, brass, locally made, as worn by the head of this Party, Mrs Phyllis Josephine Hughes, who served out in Egypt from 1940-1945. This together with her epaulette insignia, two brass crowns and two pips, she held the rank equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel, and also a selection of Red Cross Society tunic buttons, and two medal ribbon bars representing her entitlement to the Africa Star.
British Forces in Egypt Identification Card (Civilian), No.802, issued in the name of Phyllis Josephine Hughes, valid until 28 November 1946. Complete with pass photo of her, and affixed to this is her British Red Cross Society Certificate of Enrolment Card, this with annual dates entered for 1940 through 1945.
British Red Cross Society and St. John War Organisation Middle East Commission Cairo 1940-1941 Controller of Working Parties in Egypt New Years Greeting and printed extract of the letter sent to the Controller, Lady Spinks, from Field Marshall Sir Philip Chetwode, thanking her and her working parties for their efforts. This letter was originally dated 5 November 1940.
War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem letter, sent from the Controller Working Parties in Cairo, and thanking Mrs Hughes ‘an the ladies of your Working Parties for the service you have so generously provided to the Red Cross during the last twelve months. Your work has been a substantial contribution to the War effort and has helped to provide a steady flow of hospital requisites to the sick and wounded… A note at the bottom further states: ‘Our stock of sleeveless pullovers is very low owing to large numbers having been sent to the Prisoners of War. Would you ask all those who can knit these garments to put aside other work and give all their time to these for the next few weeks. Let me know if you need more wool for this purpose. We do not require any more scarves.’ Dated 30 December 1942.
Letter of thanks to Hughes from the R.A.F. Hospital in Egypt, thanking her and her staff for the work done on some curtains. Dated 23 July 1943.
New Zealand Forces Club No.33 Sharia Malika Farida Cairo, letter of thanks for her services to New Zealanders, (4) dated: 5 February 1942; 6 October 1943; November 1943; and 27 December 1943.
War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem in Cairo letter, conveying the comments from a letter by Lieutenant General Sir Bertram Sergison-Brooke, Commissioner for Middle East, ‘in recognition of the magnificent work rendered by you all…’ and noting the quantities of articles made available by Hughes and her working parties, namely: 18,803 handkerchiefs; 27,030 bags oddment; and 3,645 pullovers, on so on…’Signed off ‘Marguerite Spinks’, this being Lady Spinks, the Controller of Working Parties in Egypt. Dated 15 December 1943.
War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem in Cairo letter, thanking Hughes and her team for their efforts during the Red Cross Exhibition in Cairo. Dated 11 December 1944.
War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem Middle East Commission Letter of Thanks for services, addressed to ‘Mrs Hughes (Phyllis)’ and dated for January 1945.
National Patriotic Fund Board of New Zealand letter, which was enclosed with a small momento, a gift to Hughes in respect of her services to New Zealand men and women in Egypt. The gift had been made in the Disabled Soldiers workshop, and was made from New Zealand Paua Shell and silver. Dated 6 February 1945.
Joint Committee of the Order of St John and British Red Cross compliments slip forwarding the ribbon for the 1939-1945 Star, this together with a War Office form notifying the recipient of her entitlement to the War Medal 1939-1945, together with a forwarding envelope addressed to her at Nile View, 18 Saray el Ghezireh, Ghezireh, Egypt.
Letter on Commonwealth of Australia headed paper and sent to Mrs Hughes from the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, Robert G. Menzies, thanking her for her letter of welcome on his having taken up office, dated 22 January 1951, and further to this, a 1952-1953 Christmas and New Year Good Wishes card from Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Menzies. Another similar card from 1956-1957.
Invitation Card and related correspondence as sent to Mrs Hughes for the unveiling and dedication of the Eighth Army Memorial Window in the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Cairo, as held on 4 March 1951. She received the invite from the Commonwealth of Australia.
Imperial War Graves Commission correspondence with Mrs Hughes, this concerning the death of her husband, who had died on 2 March 1958, he being Brigadier Cyril Emerson Hughes, C.B.E., Australian Imperial Forces (1915-1919), Commonwealth War Graves Committee, and GHQ Cairo, who was the Australian Government Commissioner Middle East as of 1937. Also included is further correspondence and well wishes in the aftermath of her husband’s death, and ultimately a letter from January 1977 as sent by the Australian High Commission in London, advising her that she may wish to lodge a claim for a Statutory Widow’s Pension ‘if you consider that the death of your husband could be related to his service with the Australian Army Forces.’Her husband had in fact died of Parkinson’s disease, and she did not gain entitlement to a pension for this.
Also a quantity of other undocumented letters, many wartime.
Mrs Phyllis Josephine Hughes, whose original surname was Murdoch, this prior to her marriage to Brigadier Cyril Emerson Hughes, C.B.E., Australian Military Forces, Imperial War Graves Commission and the Australian Government Commissioner Middle East. Stationed in Egypt throughout the Second World War, Mrs Hughes had control of the Red Cross Working Parties for the British Red Cross Society and St. John War Organisation Middle East Commission No.17 (Cairo) Area Welfare Group. As such she oversaw the provision of welfare and comfort for the various troops who passed through that area, and received thanks from all quarters during the course of the war. She was latterly known to Robert G. Menzies, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, and was invited by the Commonwealth of Australia to attend the unveiling and dedication of the Eighth Army Memorial Window in the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Cairo in March 1951. Her husband, who had originally see service with the Australian Light Horse during the Great War, predeceased her in 1958, ad she died in London in 1991.
