VAD cape, WW2

[alastaircox]

This fabulous cape has just arrived for me to assess and most likely sell. The former owner was an extraordinary woman, wounded in her duties, she went on to achieve great things.

Just to be clear, I'm not advertising it, I just thought you would like to have first sight of it.

My biggest concern is that the value of the badges, including some extremely rare ones, by far outweighs the value of the cape as a whole. It would be tragic to see it broken up. Your thoughts would be most welcome - I have much to contemplate....

Alastair

[Sarah Rogers]

Lovely cape, does it come with any of her nursing badges/history/certificates?

[wilfb]

Hello Alastair.

Absolutely stunning!  I once saw one (post WWII) with metal badges attached, but have never seen  one like this. It is probably unique. I think that Barry Sutton is the member most likely to be able to assess it's value but I think that everyone would appreciate a look.

Then the only drawback is my right arm - I need it!  But showing the cape will be a big plus - it is a serious piece of history - thank you.

Will.
Ps. Only direct advertising will attract censure - this isn't.

[alastaircox]

No badges I'm afraid although I think that as a VAD nurse, she may not have been formally qualified in nursing.

Her medals, including her wound badge, have been lost and the family threw away her lecture notes on life in the VAD! It is very finding as the cape has superb provenance yet it is effectively unnamed. I am hoping that photographs in uniform and some documentation can be found.

I'll take some better photos and provide some background include her name, DOB etc. over the weekend....

[backman]

Thanks Alastair,
Whilst these capes do come up now and again,they almost always seem to go to Militaria collectors.Whilst they are certainly an aspect of Nursing history in as much as wounded soldiers in both world wars often donated unit patches to the nurses who cared for them,their value as you say,lays in the variety of patches featured.A similar cape with what looks like far more and rarer patches sold at C&T Auctioneers in early October.It was estimated at £600-800 but sold for £1400.
This one may not be as desirable but if looking for the best market I would recommend a specialist Auction house dealing in Militaria(there are many!) I subscribe to a Bi monthly magazine called the Armorer which featured the sale

[Mick B]

To be frank, there aren't many badges or shoulder titles on view in that picture that would be out of the ordinary, there is a hint of a large set of wings at the top that might be glider pilot? plus the glider pilot shoulder wings they look like the choice items, but in my own opinion it wouldn't be worth anyone buying it to break it up. That being said, who knows what someone on ebay or a decent auction would pay if they wanted it.  Mick

[barrysutton]

There is currently a similar one on ebay that has been available for about 2 years with no takers at £900, it as someone else has pointed out is what someone is prepared to pay and without any providence it would more that likely be broken up.
Thank you for allowing me to see it it is quite impressive, in comparison its similiar to a Girl Guides camp fire blanket.

[alastaircox]

More photos and some background, as promised.

The cape belonged to Barbara Mary Stoney, (nee Swain, which would have been her name when she was a VAD.) She was born 18th Sept 1924. She later married, had two sons and  went on to be a journalist and later a biographer. She wrote the first, and the only official, biography of Enid Blyton, also the finding biography of Sybil, Dame of Sark, which included the occupation years. She also wrote the biography of Noel Pemberton-Billing who is less well known but a finding character.


http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=570417

Hopefully details of her service years will emerge over the next couple of weeks but I understand she served in Southern England and was injured as a result of a bombing raid. I'll add more as it comes in and hopefully some early photos.

Thanks for the thoughts on the cape. There are 146 badges including some rare ones.  I am less worried about the value (I value things for a living!) more about the best route to sale so again, thanks for your input there and for pointing out the two comparables. I hoped that the nursing (and perhaps Enid Blyton) links would out weigh the value of the badges. Maybe they will....

[wilfb]

Hello Alastair.

Superb photographs - steeped in nursing history - very many thanks.  I will, of course, add these items to our gallery (unless you want to do that yourself?) and hopefully produce a collector page about Barbara Stoney...

Will.

[backman]

Oddly enough one more of these is up for sale on Boseleys military auction this week:   http://www.mycommissionbid.com/bid/viewitem.php?id=235

[alastaircox]

Nothing like the high profile sale of an item to flush out a few more!

I am working through the badges and there are some exceptional ones on this cape - the SAS parachute wings and 2 Commando title stand out along with a couple of the Indian divisions. C&T feel that it is a much better cape than the one they sold in October.

[wilfb]

Looking at both capes - I definitely prefer Alastair's VAD - perhaps it's the colour?

Will.

[alastaircox]

Here she is in her former glory. The family cannot find any paper work or photographs in uniform but this is rather nice.

How researchable are WW2 VAD nurses? I would love to get a potted history of her service.  I'll take a look on the National Archives website but my experience (with WW2 soldiers) has been pretty fruitless.

[Sarah Rogers]

Hi, sorry if i ask things you have already said, but are you her next of kin?... for my granddads service record(RAF) , pre and, WW2 and  post WW2, i had to get his next of kins signature who was alive! - whihc is my mum as his eldest child. No sure about Nurses, there is lots on the national archives site...great skecth, they do add so much to histories... good luck ! Sarah

[alastaircox]

No, they are family friends that I am helping.