Surgeon Probationer

[horatio2]

An interesting side-issue to this topic.

[penfold]

Based on the excellent information that you have all provided I have started to review the information in ADM 104/170 and bring this into a spreadsheet that is being presented on the internet.  My main interest is identifying those that were at the Battle of Jutland but I will add basic information against those that were not present.  Already I have found some names that are in the Navy Lists but are not within the ADM 104/170 files.  One wonders whether there are other file ranges at The National Archives. This sheet is being updated on a regular basis.

https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/surgeon-probationer

 

[KizmeRD]

There were 79 destroyers involved in the Battle of Jutland and most of those would have carried Surgeon Probationers.

Surgeon Probationers that didn’t survive the battle included John Ebinezer MacIntyre (HMS Ardent), Robert Walker (HMS Shark), David Ferris (HMS Broke), John Hislop (HMS Nessus) and Hugh Dingle (HMS Petard).

Larger units of the fleet carried more senior medical officers, some of whom were also casualties of the battle.

MB

* Two other Surgeon Probationers ended up P-o-W’s after Jutland, Alexander Joe (HMS Nestor) and David Oswald (HMS Nomad). And Douglas GP Bell was awarded a DSC (HMS Spitfire).

Edited 3 August , 2021 by KizmeRD

[KizmeRD]

There is a fairly complete list of names of Surgeon Probationers RNVR compiled by RS Allison that can be accessed here…

https://archive.org/details/JRNMSVOL63Images/page/n49/mode/2up?q=Probationer

This list also includes the name of the ship that they were appointed to.

MB

[penfold]

Thank you, very interesting

[penfold]

I am steadily working through ADM 104/170 but I am coming across many names identified as Surgeon Probationers/Temporary Surgeons in the various Navy Lists that do not appear in ADM 104/170.  Does anyone know of another ADM where these names might appear please?

 

[KizmeRD]

I would not necessarily rely exclusively on ADM’s to supply you with a complete list of RNMS medical officers, as many Surgeon Probationers served less than a year in the navy before returning to medical school to complete their studies and examinations (they were required to serve a minimum of six months and could then request a return anytime after that). The best (most complete) list I’ve come across is Allison’s (who was a Surgeon Probationer RNVR himself).

Another source of good information would be the December 1918 Navy List (and all other wartime lists), and a CWGC search by rank should reveal those who died in service. That only leaves those who returned to medical school whilst hostilities were still ongoing (some of whom qualified and came back as Temp. Surgeons RN or RAMC doctors).

The medal rolls also provide a useful source of information (ADM 171/89-91), but those who went on to serve in the RAMC would be found in WO 372.

MB

Edited 13 August , 2021 by KizmeRD

[penfold]

Thank you