Indian doctors eligibility to serve in the RAMC? (The case of MPK Menon)

[RogerWill]

I have been doing some research on an Indian medical doctor, Madurakote Puttenvetil Kesava Menon (4 April 1887-12 July 1972). Born in Calieut, Malabar, Menon began his medical training at the Madras Medical College on 1 July 1907. Three years later he came to Britain, where he enrolled as a student at the University of Leeds Medical School, passing their matriculation exams in September 1910. He graduated with MB and ChB degrees in 1913 and practiced in Britain until the outbreak of WWI. Menon joined the Indian Medical Service as a Temporary Lieutenant with effect from 19 February 1915 and apparently went on to serve in France with the 83rd Stationary Hospital, before being posted to Mesopotamia and then India during 1916-1917. This period saw him promoted to Temporary Captain (on 19 February 1916) and included service with the 88th Carnatic Infantry from 4 March 1917. The latter part of the war saw Menon in Egypt, serving as Medical Officer in charge of the Indian Infantry Base Depot at Kantara, with the EEF, during 1918-1919. Menon was later awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals in recognition of his services. 

Thinking about his military service, I wondered why Menon had not joined the RAMC rather than the IMS. Would he have been eligible to do so as an Indian doctor? Would his having a British medical degree made a difference? Or were the services segregated at this time and Indian's barred from joining? Anything else on Menon's early life would be a bonus.

Thanks

Roger
 

[MaureenE]

I am not aware that there was an official restriction (although there may have been ) but I am sure there would have been prejudice from some other doctors in the RAMC , particularly in view of comments I have seen about attitudes to women doctors in the military in WW2.

 

Some potential soldier patients probably also would have been prejudiced, and from a practical point of view, probably a lot of the British  rural and regional accents would have been incomprehensible to an Indian doctor.

 

However, perhaps his  main motivation was to provide medical help to Indian soldiers.

 

What advantages do you think he would have had if he has joined the RAMC?

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

[RogerWill]

Hi Maureen

I was thinking that, as my chap seemed set on a trajectory of assimilating into mainstream British society, he might well have been tempted to continue in that vein in the army, joining the British RAMC, rather than reverting to the Indian establishment. Menon was a bit unusual at the time, not only in coming to the UK to undertake the majority of his medical training, but then to settle into regular hospital work in Britain (and post WWI would go into general practice in London), and to marry a white English woman. I agree it would in all probability have been a smoother ride for him in the IMS than in the RAMC, but that hadn't deterred him before in civilian practice.

 

The question still stands, do we know if there were institutional barriers (as opposed to individual prejudices, of which I'm sure there were quite a few) in terms of ethnicity or place of birth etc on Indian doctors gaining commissions in the RAMC? Or, approaching it differently, do members know of any/many Indian (etc) doctors in the RAMC? Searching using a selection of about 20 common Indian surnames in the Medal Index Cards cross referenced with RAMC produced no hits at all for Indian's in the corps.

Thanks.

Roger

Edited 18 March , 2019 by RogerWill

[RogerWill]

These sites seem to suggest the answer was (generally) there was institutionalised segregation:

 

https://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/whether-of-pure-european-descent/

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0031322X.2012.701807?needAccess=true