The significant Second World War Wales Pembroke Dock Civil Defence Ambulance Volunteer’s January 1946 British Empire Medal and July 1947 Serving Sister of the Order of Saint John group awarded to Mrs Irene Phyllis Hammond, Superintendent of the Pembroke Dock Division, Priory of Wales, Saint John Ambulance Brigade. During the Second World War she worked as a Voluntary Worker in the Civil Defence Casualty Services at Pembroke Dock, which for a town of its size, was one of the most heavily bombed communities in the British Isles, and she was very busy during the particularly heavy raids on the town during the Blitz period in 1940, and during the summer of 1941. For her distinguished war work, she was the recipient of the Saint John Ambulance Brigade Priory of Wales Vote of Thanks on 26th June 1944, was awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the New Years Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 9th January 1946, and then went on to be awarded the Serving Sister degree of The Most Venerable Order of Saint John in the London Gazette for 8th July 1947. As one who knew her wrote: ‘those of us who were associated with her in Civil Defence work at this time often wondered how she coped with the large number of calls upon her. It is clear that she overtaxed her strength, as she was always ready to go off on long journeys with the ambulance under most difficult conditions’. She went on to become a member of the Borough Council in May 1950, and continued to represent the Pater Ward until her death in July 1957. In addition her husband was one Leo Hammond, whose family owned the newspaper, the West Wales Guardian.
Group of 3: The Most Venerable Order of Saint John, Serving Sister, 3rd type skeletal form for wartime issue up to 1947; British Empire Medal, GVI 1st type cypher, Civil Division; (IRENE P. MRS. HAMMOND); Defence Medal 1939-1945.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Together with the recipient’s St. John Ambulance War Service Badge, gilt and enamels, reverse numbered: ‘597’, lacking suspension.
Irene Phyllis Hammond, known as Phyllis, and born with the surname Lloyd, came from and lived in Pembroke Dock, Wales, being educated at Pembroke Dock Grammar School between 1915 and 1919, she went on to be married to Leo Hammond, who had charge of the printing side of the newspaper, the West Wales Guardian. This paper was for some 130 years one of the best selling weekly newspapers in West Wales, and was owned by the Hammond family. The couple lived at “Fallowfield”, Argyle Street, Pembroke Dock.
She was heavily involved in the Saint John Ambulance organisation, and wold eventually become the Superintendent of the Pembroke Dock Division. During the Second World War she worked as a Voluntary Worker in the Civil Defence Casualty Services at Pembroke Dock, which for a town of its size, was one of the most heavily bombed communities in the British Isles, and she was very busy during the particularly heavy raids on the town during the Blitz period in 1940, and during the summer of 1941. In once incident, on 19th August 1940, the Admiralty Oil Tanks at Llanreath at Pembroke Dock were bombed by 1 Juckers 88 accompanied by two Messerschmitt ME 109 aircraft. The subsequent fire lasted for 18 days through to the 5th September, and included was the attendance by over 650 firemen from 22 different fire brigades. Some 13 George Medals were awarded, which is believed to be a record for one incident. Someone who knew Phyllis Hammond during this period, noted that she had been very busy around that time.
For her distinguished war work as a Voluntary Worker in the Civil Defence Casualty Services at Pembroke Dock, she was the recipient of the Saint John Ambulance Brigade Priory of Wales Vote of Thanks on 26th June 1944, was awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the New Years Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 9th January 1946, and then went on to be awarded the Serving Sister degree of The Most Venerable Order of Saint John in the London Gazette for 8th July 1947. Images of her feature in the books ‘In Harm’s Way?’ on page 78, and in ‘Inferno 1940’. She died in Pembroke Dock on 9th July 1957.
A local obituary published in ‘The Penfro’ in Spring 1958, which was the Pembroke Dock Grammar School magazine, would note that she had ‘led a very active life, particularly during the war, when she worked so hard as Superintendent of the Pembroke Dock Nursing Division of the Order of St. John. Those of us who were associated with her in Civil Defence work at this time often wondered how she coped with the large number of calls upon her. It is clear that she overtaxed her strength, as she was always ready to go off on long journeys with the ambulance under most difficult conditions, work which she continued long after the war. In addition to this arduous work she became a member of the Borough Council in May 1950, and continued to represent the Pater Ward until her death. She will long be remembered as one of the most prominent citizens of the Borough.’
