Miniature medal group : Colonel R E Roth, Australian Army Medical Corps

Group of miniature medals for the Order of St Michael and St George, the Distinguished Service Order, the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Queen's South African Medal with six clasps, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal and the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers Decoration. At the end of the bar is a fragment of purple ribbon from an unidentified medal.

Miniature medal set of Colonel Reuter Emerich Roth, Australian Army Medical Corps. Roth was born in Brighton, England in 1858 and educated in London at University College School. From 1874 he studied medicine at University College and Hospital. After graduation he migrated to Sydney and was comissioned in 1894 as a captain in the Medical Staff Corps, Military Forces of New South Wales. He served during the South African War as principal medical officer of 2 Mounted Infantry Brigade. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. On his return to Australia in 1901 he was appointed the principal medical officer of the Commonwealth Forces in NSW and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1909. In March 1915 Roth took command of 5 Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps and served at Gallipoli from August to December. He was promoted to Colonel in February 1916 and served in France as Deputy Director of Medical Services for 1 ANZAC Corps and then 2 ANZAC Corps. He was wounded during the battle of Fromelles and invalided to Australia in November 1916. He was twice mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Order of St Michael and George in 1917. Roth died in New Caledonia in 1924.