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Remembered Today:

RAMC: researching Wilfred Lawton


Guest Andrew Lawton

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Barbara:

I'm happy to contribute to the database and your site--feel free to use the Bullock photo. Thanks for checking on him in your data.

Chris Jordan

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Reading this thread, it's clear there is a wealth of knowledge here, and I hope someone could point me in the direction of information about my Great Uncle (I think) Major General Sir Thomas Yarr, who served in the RAMC during the Great War. He was an Irish surgeon. I've found his 'M.I.D.' s in the London Gazette, so from just knowing his name as a child, I've found details of his progress through the war. I would be very grateful if anyone here could help to fill in any information or point me in the right direction.

Arthur

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Barbara,

I was looking hrough the Warwick Advertiser the other day when I came across this re Capt Julius Beilby RAMC who was killed 23/4/1916. On the same page it also shows the action they were engaged in. It was Captain Bernard Law Montgomery's wounded report that caught my eye first but I noticed this afterwards.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n53/nittenman/beilby.gif

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n53/nit...an/yeomanry.gif

Hope its of use.

Keith

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Hello Arthur

I have some information on Sir Michael Thomas Yarr. He served as an A.D.M.S and D.D.M.S. in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.

I assume this is your Great Uncle, if you send me a PM with your email address I will forward the information I have to you.

Barbara

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Hello Barbara,

I have a list of about 150 Mackays/Mckays (29 Officers) who served in the R.A.M.C. during W.W.1.

Plus a list of 17 Nurses of various services who served.

If you are interested please contact me off forum and I will e-mail a copy of my files to you.

Ken.

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Barbara:

Here's another RAMC chap I remembered I had:

BROWNLIE

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Captain

Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps

Secondary Regiment: Yorkshire Regiment

Secondary Unit Text: attd. 13th Bn.

Age: 36

Date of Death: 25/03/1918

Awards: MC

Additional information: Brother of John D. Brownlie, of 117, Wool Exchange, London, E.C.2.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: II. A. 7.

Cemetery: HENINEL-CROISILLES ROAD CEMETERY

Not the best quality image, as it is cropped from a larger photo.

Chris

post-1571-1165037681.jpg

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I hope someone could point me in the direction of information about my Great Uncle (I think) Major General Sir Thomas Yarr, who served in the RAMC during the Great War. He was an Irish surgeon. . . . . I would be very grateful if anyone here could help to fill in any information or point me in the right direction.

Arthur

Arthur,

Welcome to the Forum. How exciting, Colonel Yarr was ADMS 29th Division at the time of the initial landings on Gallipoli. I first came across him 16 years ago when I pulled his WD. Writing now from memory (although I do have copies (somewhere!!)), the diary covering the events of 25th April 1915 was somewhat sparse. The folder for May housed a letter from Brereton (appointed the RAMC's OH, but in the event, he only produced (as far as I am aware) one volume which dealth with the events of 1914). The essence of the letter was to appreciate that the April diary was written under difficult conditions but he (Brereton) looked forward, when circumstances permitted, to receiving a more comprehensive account of events of 25th April, supported, where possible, by copies of plans and maps. Your Uncle's response, in blue pencilled margin notes, was to the effect, "What plans? What maps? This is Gallipoli, not the Western Front." His reply to Brereton was equally robust, written, as it was, from a dug out.

If I get to find the notes as I move my self into a new study, I'll post 'em

Whatever, it was reading your Uncle's cri de coeur almost 75 years after the event that hooked me on Gallipoli.

Barbara, I'd be pleased to know more about Col Yarr. If I recall, he was IAMS and went on to become DDMS VIII Corps?

Chris

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Hi Barbara,

Have you anything on Capt. Charles M Bernays RAMC? Other than a medal card I can find nothing on him yet he's on a local memorial.

Keith

Hi Keith

Capt C M Bernays is becoming a bit of a mystery. I have search the Nov 1915, Nov 1916 and Nov 1917 Army Lists but he doesn't appear to be listed.

John suggested that according to his MIC he was award the MSM, I also have a database of awards awarded to RAMC personnel with the intitials A -G but he is not on there either :(

I will add him to the database though and attach the picture you kindly sent me of the memorial, and if information does come up I will let you know.

Barbara

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Chris

Thank you for posting the photograph of Capt W Brownlie. The image is fine as it personalizes a name. The only information I can add is that the gazette date for the MC is 3/6/18.

Barbara

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Arthur and Chris

I have this reference which has been taken from 'Drew, Medical Officers in the British Army'

Sir Micheal Thomas Yarr. S., aftds. S. Capt., 30 Jan. 1886. S.M. 30 Jan. 1898. R.A.M.C. Maj. 30 Jan 1898. Lt. Col. 30 Jan 1906. Col. 1 Mar. 1915 Temp. S.G. (without pay and allowances of the rank) whilst a D.M.S. 3 Aug. 1916. Seconded for service under Siamese Govt., 1 June 1895 to 15 Feb 1900; also for service on the staff of the Govt. of Bombay, 9 Oct. 1903 to 15 Jan. 1907. South Africa 1900-1901. Great War of 1914., as an A.D.M.S. and D.D.M.S. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. C.B. (mil.). K.C.M.G. 1917. b. at Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, 17 Oct 1862. F.R.C.S.I. 1894. Author of: Manual of Military Ophthalmology ; The Ocular Manifestations of Leprosy (B.M.J.); Trachoma and Race (B.M.J.) ; Indirect Gun-shot Injuries of the Eye ; Lightning Injuries of the Eye (Trans. Oph. Soc. 1901 - 1902).

Also, it is documented in the book, '1/1st Lowland Field Ambulance on Gallipoli' - "The Unit was visited on 10th September by the DMS Surgeon - General Birrell, accompanied by Colonel M T Yarr, DDMS to VIII Army Corps". They year appears to be 1915.

Plus I have him listed under 'Directors of Army Medical Services in the Great War'. as being VIII Corps, DDMS 4/6/15 up until 7/3/1916 Colonel J M Irwin.

These are the references I have found on Sir M T Yarr so far, I will look to see if I can find anymore information.

Barbara

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Plus I have him listed under 'Directors of Army Medical Services in the Great War'. as being VIII Corps, DDMS 4/6/15 up until 7/3/1916 Colonel J M Irwin

Hmm, I'll check out VIII Corps' WD next time I'm down the TNA.

So, why your interest in RAMC, Barbara?

Chris

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Barbara and Chris,

many thanks to you both for the information. It is indeed exciting, and I'm astonished at the erudition present here. I may well get addicted :-)

Regards,

Arthur

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So, why your interest in RAMC, Barbara?

Chris

Chris

My father started researching the RAMC back in the 1970s. He served with 211 (Surrey) Field Ambulance TA Kingston. He started to work, with others, for the AMS museum to collect as much information as possible about the Units, he put out a public appeal for those who served in the Territorial Units to contact him with any information and eventually wrote a book called 'The Home Counties Medical Services of the Territorial Army 1859 - 1922'. He also wrote from 1922 but it never became published. His main interest centered around the RAMC in the Great War. He collected with the help of other Historians and researchers, as much information as he could trace and created a database system of the Divisions, Field Ambulances, General and Stationery hospitals, CCS, Sanitary Sections, Hospital Ships and Trains, and the Military and War Hospitals in the UK, as well as general information. After he retired he continued to answer the queries sent to the museum.

My interest started about six years ago. I began to help him out because his health was failing, he was afraid that all his research would be lost and I promised him that that would never happen. The one thing that really used to get to me was not being able to tell people where their relatives served because official records stated they served in the RAMC and not the Units they served with. Thats why I wanted to built a database and list as many RAMC Personnel as I can trace so that I can add all the fragmented information into one place. I am hoping that other Historians and family members can help me to acheive this but if it is not possible, then at least it will be one place where as many as possible are commemorated together.

Barbara

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Another one for your record BJay, dated August 1915

post-12171-1165264802.jpg

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I'd like to publicly say thanks to Barbara (BJay) for all the interesting information she sent conmcerning my great uncle, Maj-Gen Sir Thomas Yarr. In addition Pete Starling was very helpful with plenty of fascinating info from the AMS Museum. To him my grateful thanks also. I'm still digesting it all and looking up the various references. In order to understand the man's life I have to know about contemporary events in South Africa, Siam, China, Malta, Bombay as well as Gallipoli, Egypt and Malta. It looks like a lot of reading is in prospect :-).

I hope to get a copy of his obituary from the Times when I go to the local library on Monday (there's searchable access from 1785 to 1985). If there 's anyone who wants me to seach out a name in the obituaries for them, drop me a PM.

Regards,

Arthur

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Hi Barbara

Thanks for your reply at Post 139 outlining the background to your interest in the RAMC. I have your Father's book (somewhere) and paid a couple of visits to 211 in the late 90s. Enjoyed their company.

I appreciate your 'mission' too. I'll try to remember to bring forward individuals as I come across them.

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I'd like to publicly say thanks to Barbara (BJay) for all the interesting information she sent conmcerning my great uncle, Maj-Gen Sir Thomas Yarr.

Arthur

You're welcome Arthur, if I come across any further information I will forward it onto you.

Barbara

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I'll try to remember to bring forward individuals as I come across them.

Thanks Chris

It is a project that I decided to take on myself (with my brother-in-law's help to build the database) but I'm also doing it to support of the AMS Museum. Any information/advice you can give will be credited to you and all the information I receive will eventually be passed on to the museum.

I must add that I made a typing error, my father served in 221 (Surrey) Field Ambulance not 211.

Barbara

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  • 2 weeks later...
. . . my father served in 221 (Surrey) Field Ambulance not 211.

Barbara

Ah, at the Richmond TA Centre? I lived in the Keep in Kingston for a while.

Keep up the good work with AMS Museum. Pete needs all the help he can get!! Seriously, though, he gives a great deal of help out, so its good to know there's some inward flow of information.

Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

BJay and Pete Starling

Don't know whether or not you picked up the following (apparently fascinating) individual, initiated by Tunsilk and added to by Coldstreamer:

CWGC shows some more details

Name: NISBET, JAMES

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Royal Army Medical Corps

Age: 31

Date of Death: 29/10/1918

Service No: 155915

Additional information: Son of William and Barbara Nisbet; husband of Flora Musgrave Nisbet, of "Rosmeade," Tonford Lane, Thanington, Canterbury. A Clerk in Holy orders. Born at Ryhope.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: In South-West part.

Cemetery: SILKSWORTH (ST. MATTHEW) CHURCHYARD

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Hello again,

I've been away fro a while and recovering from a rather bad cold/virus over Christmas. I've finished scanning (to pdf) each month of the Nos 1 & 141 FA war diaries. I have completed draft transcripts to April 1915 and am working on May - hoping to finish before I get back to work.

Perhaps someone could help enlighten me on how "division" and "section" are used in the FA context. Its not quite the same as what I'm used to (with an air CIC background only). The FA is divided into three (administrative) sections which have some functional overlap. The diaries often refer to the "Bearer Division" without mentioning a section. I sometimes get the impression that this is a part of a section, but in other places it sounds more like all of the bearers across all sections. In that case "divisions" within the unit seem to be functions parts while sections are administrative. Is that close?

Cheers,

John

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