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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Sydney Furlong OBE, RAMC


Wexflyer

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Looking at the LG for Major Sydney Furlong RAMC, some questions occur to me:

- Were physicians commissioned with an initial rank of (full) lieutenant? First reference I can find in the LG is his appointment as such.

- What was the typical role of a major in the RAMC. I doubt a major would be a battalion MO. Perhaps officer commanding an ambulance, or?

- Does the award of an OBE, rather than, say, a DSO, indicate he did not serve at the front?

- There is a gap of almost a full year between the date of the LG stating that he was acting major, and the effective date stated therein. Is such a long gap normal? Was he an acting major during the time before the LG notification?

- Some RAMC doctors, including Furlong, are noted as M.B. But for many others no degree is mentioned. What is the significance of this?

Edited by Wexflyer
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On 12/06/2020 at 20:12, Wexflyer said:

are noted as M.B. But for many others no degree is mentioned

 

If the situation in the RAMC was the same as in the RN Medical Service, some joined up before graduating.

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1 hour ago, seaJane said:

 

If the situation in the RAMC was the same as in the RN Medical Service, some joined up before graduating.

 

You mean to say that many, maybe even a majority, of the army  "doctors" were unqualified??!! I though the days of the barber-shop "surgeons" was over by 1914.

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I only said "If" the situation in the RAMC was the same :) - the surgeon probationers RN were mostly called up out of medical school - bearing in mind that it was a long course and they would have gained a certain amount of experience even without having taken their exams. I know of at least one surgeon probationer who was actually picked up by the navy before he ever got to university.

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