Medical Officers' commission

[Hans Wiersum]

I am looking for information how a civilian physician could have obtained (granted?) an officers' commission. This would be in the period lat 1915 to early 1916.

I need the information for a story I am writing and I want details to be correct.

Another question concerning this: Suppose a physician had obtained a military rank, how would he be prepared for the work in a Regimental Aid Post and / or Casualty Clearing Station?

And, not unimportant, what rank would a newly appointed Medical Officer get?

As a Dutchman it is difficult for me to just hop over to London do search the IWM archives et cetera.

Can anybody give me a hint where to look or whom to approach?

Apologies for bad English / wrongly used terms!

Many thanks,

Hans Wiersum

[EastSurrey]

I can tell you how one doctor, George Pirie, obtained a commission. A South African of Scots descent, he had graduated at Edinburgh University in July 1914 and then worked as a senior house physician at Leith. He applied in mid December 1914, with, in addition to his medical training , some experience as a cadet corps sergeant in South Africa and a corporal in the medical section at university. He was interviewed by Major Nicholls, commanding the military hospital at Edinburgh. His commission, as Lieutenant, was granted in early January 1915, in the Special Reserve, as was customary for many wartime volunteer officers.

After training, Pirie sailed to Egypt in March 1915. He was transferred to 89th Field Ambulance, but initially was serving on a hospital ship. He landed at Gallipoli in May and served as a Regimental Medical Officer there until wounded in September. He then served on the Western Front, largely as R.M.O. to 9/East Surrey from December 1915 to his death as a captain, from a shell, in July 1917. He seems to have requested transfers at various times, and was successful in obtaining them, when he had bad relations with battalion commanders. He preferred life in the front line as an R.M.O. to working further back. He applied for and was given a regular commission in January 1917. He was Mentioned in Dispatches twice.

He kept a detailed diary which was published by Helion, as 'Frontline Medic', edited by Michael Lucas, in 2014.He has a fairly extensive WO file at T.N.A.-many medics files have been destroyed.

Michael

[Hans Wiersum]

Michael,

Thanks for the information. This gives me an idea on how things could work. I'll try to either obtain a copy of his book or find out if it's in the IWM archives.

Hans

[MaureenE]

He would have been granted the temporary rank of Lieutenant while employed with the Army, as set out in the Corps News section from the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps September 1914

http://jramc.bmj.com/content/23/3/69.full.pdf

I believe a higher rank could apply if the doctor was a medical specialist.

If you want to look at additional online copies of the Journal, there are some links on the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Doctor

http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/Doctor#Historical_books_online

Cheers

Maureen

[BJanman]

Lt Arthur Anderson Martin (Later Maj Martin N.Z.M.C.) provides a personal account of how he gained a commission in the R.A.M.C., and also refers to the R.A.M.C.'s view on their officer ranking system. His book can be found on-line here - https://archive.org/details/surgeoninkhaki01mart

Your other questions should be answered in the book 'Doctors in the Great War' by Ian R Whitehead. I don't think it is free on-line, but you should be able to buy at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctors-Great-War-Ian-Whitehead/dp/1783461748

Hope that helps

Barbara

[seaJane]

Both Henry Tonks and Harold Gillies (facial surgery) obtained commissions, I believe - Gillies as a Major. I'm not 100% sure what rank Tonks held.

Any surgeons or medical students taken up by the Royal Navy were automatically granted officer rank as far as I know, even if only as Temporary Surgeon Probationer.

[deadin]

Here is a recently published book from "Down Under" that may be of interest:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0958086834?keywords=lord%20kitcheners%20one%20hundred&qid=1456795568&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

[petestarling]

As has previously been said, Doctor's in the Great War ' is perhaps the best book on the subject of doctors in the FWW. I looked at this when I did a diploma in the History of Medicine and the British Medical Association have the archives of the Central Medical War Committee. Once the initial rush of patriotism for doctors to join up had died down all doctors had to register with the CMWC and as and when needed, join up. As the war progressed they got very little initial training if any prior to embarking but it did vary. Of the many accounts I have read some hung about in this country for quite some time before going overseas.