Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Knight Commander, Civil Division (in silver gilt with light blue and red enamels, measuring 22 mm (w) x 29 mm (h)); Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knight Commander (in silver with white enamels, measuring 20 mm (w) x 20 mm (h)); 1939-1945 Star (in bronze gilt, 19.2 mm (w) x 22 mm (h)); Africa Star (in bronze gilt, measuring 19.2 mm (w) x 22 (h)); Italy Star (in bronze gilt, measuring 19.5 mm (w) x 22.5 (h)); Defence Medal (in cupro-nickel, measuring 18.7 mm in diameter); and War Medal 1939-1945 with MID Oak Leaf (in cupro-nickel, measuring 18 mm in diameter). Mounted to a suspension with swing bar pinback, as worn by the veteran, intact enamels, very light contact, the two orders with original ribbons, the five Second War awards with modern ribbons, near extremely fine.
Footnote: Sir Hedley John Barnard Atkins KBE, KStJ, DM, MCh, FRCS, FRCP was the first professor of surgery at Guy's Hospital and President of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was born on December 30, 1905, the only son of Guy's Hospital physician Sir John Atkins KCMG KCVO FRCS and Elizabeth May (née Smith) and was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Oxford and Guy's. He was a man of commanding presence and excellent physique, playing rugby football for his school, Middlesex, Harlequins and Guy’s. He seldom missed attending Guy’s matches for the rest of his life. He was a keen sailor and latterly a dedicated gardener. Having obtained first class honours in his physiology degree at Oxford, he went to Guy’s with an entrance scholarship where he won the treasurer’s gold medal in clinical surgery, qualifying in 1932. Hedley J.B. Atkins married Gladys Gwendoline Jones, the daughter of a civil engineer, in 1933, the couple later having two sons. All his resident appointments were at Guy’s and he became a member of the Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1934, gaining the Hallett prize, and Master of Chirurgery at Oxford in 1935. Two years later, in 1937, at the age of 31, he was appointed to the staff of Guy’s as Assistant Surgeon and spent all his professional life in that institution. In 1942, during the Second World War, Atkins went to North Africa with the Royal Army Medical Corps, subsequently serving in Italy and the United Kingdom. 221655 Hedley John Barnard Atkins, MD, FRCS, Royal Army Medical Corps, was to be Lieutenant, effective December 29, 1941, the announcement appearing in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 35448 of Friday, February 6, 1942, on Tuesday, February 10, 1942, page 650. 221655 Lieutenant-Colonel (Temporary) Atkins, MD, FRCS was also Mentioned in Despatches, the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 37368 of Tuesday, November 27, 1945, on Thursday, November 29, 1945, page 5822, "In recognition of distinguished & gallant services in the field". He was demobilized with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and for his Second World War service, he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-1945 with MID Oak Leaf. Hedley returned to Guy’s after the war determined to bring a scientist’s approach to what was then very much the art of surgery. He was appointed Director of the Department of Surgery and pursued his own special interest in breast diseases. He specialized in the scientific treatment of breast cancer, the Hedley Atkins Breast Unit at New Cross Hospital acknowledging his contribution in the field. At the Royal College of Surgeons, Hedley joined the court of examiners in 1949, was elected to council in 1952, vice-president 1964-1966, and was president from 1966 to 1969. His natural gifts made him the ideal choice for such a position and these were probably the happiest and proudest years of his life. Professor Hedley John Barnard Atkins, DM, FRCS, President, Royal College of Surgeons of England was named an Ordinary Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent of the British Empire, the announcement of the award appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 44326 of Friday, June 2, 1967, on Saturday, June 10, 1967, page 6277. One year later, Knight Professor Sir Hedley Atkins, KBE, DM, MCh, FRCS was a recipient of the Knight Commander of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, the announcement of the award appearing in the London Gazette 44618 of Friday, June 21, 1968, page 6976. He was a Bradshaw lecturer in 1965, a Hunterian orator in 1971 and joined the court of patrons in 1972. Hedley was a fluent speaker and enjoyed the opportunity which the College’s monthly dinners gave him to address informally the fellows and their guests. He had an excellent command of the English language due to his grounding in the classics and his lifelong habit of reading. He seldom used notes when lecturing. His opinions were sought by many bodies and he served on the General Medical Council, the General Dental Council, and on the clinical research board of the Medical Research Council. He presided over the Surgical Research Society in 1960. During this period, many honours were conferred on him and he became an honourary fellow of most of the colleges of surgeons. In 1959, he edited Tools of Biological Research and in 1977, wrote "Memoirs of a Surgeon". In 1953, the Royal College of Surgeons of England acquired Down House, the former home of Charles Darwin in the village of Downe in Kent, and the adjoining College’s Buckston Browne Research Farm. The ground floor of the house became a museum dedicated to Darwin, and Hedley and his wife moved into the upper floors in 1962, which also became their home, with Atkins assuming the role of Honourary Curator of the Charles Darwin museum and tending to it with reverent care. His love of gardening was given full rein on retirement and many generations of surgeons have enjoyed his gracious hospitality in Down House and its gardens. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Hedley John Barnard Atkins died on November 26, 1983, at the age of 77, his post nominals including: KBE (1967), KStJ (1970), MRCS, LRCP (1932) BM, BCh Oxon (1932), FRCS (1934), MCh (1936), DM (1937), FRCP (1972, elected under the special bye-law which provides for the election to the fellowship of "Persons holding a medical qualification, but not members of the College, who have distinguished themselves in the practice of medicine, or in the pursuit of Medical or General Science or Literature..."), Hon FACS (1957), Hon FRACS (1961), Hon FCPS (SA)(1968), Hon DSc East Anglia (1968), and Hon FRCSG (1973).