Brave Army Doctor

[Flying10uk]

This first photo was taken in 1917 and is believed to be in France and shows an army doctor who was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. What he did to gain the award was to treat wounded soldiers in no-mans land during an artillery barrage and continue to do so when wounded himself. He only stopped treating casualties when he was so badly wounded that he had to carried to safety by stretcher.

It would be interesting to know if minor treatments were available from the tent or if it was purely living accommodation for the doctor.

He continued as an army doctor post WW1 and through WW2, retiring post WW2. The 2nd pic is believed to be taken in 1942, quite possibly Palestine (Israel) and notice how all of the army doctors appear to be armed with pistols.

Information

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[muffett.2008]

Those aren't pistols.....syringes for giving lead injections.

[Daan Kemp]

Despite what is commonly accepted, you can be sure any medic these days of undeclared war will be a target. How does that medic protect himself and his patients? Food for thought.

[Gil Boyd]

The photo isn't of Noel Chavasse RAMC with 2 x VC but highly possibly one, Dr Charles Gordon Timms, Lions rugby union player and lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, received the MC in July 1917 and 3 bars to follow for attending the wounded (MC Gazette supplement 30188, first bar 30813, second bar 13385, third bar 31158). He was also awarded an OBE in 1936 for actions in Somaliland (Gazette supplement 34296).

[Flying10uk]

It is actually Lionel Rowlette who was a Captain when the first photo was taken in 1917, I believe, but when he retired from the army post WW2 he was a full Colonel. He also received the D.S.O. and my understanding is that he was "mentioned in dispatches" but I don't know if this relates to WW1 or WW2.

His son was also an officer in the British army, serving during WW2 and post war but only making the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The son served in the Enniskillen Fusiliers and served at an army base in Northern Ireland for some of the 1950's.

As an aside I do have the son's metal uniform trunk in a fairly inaccessible part of my attic.

[Surpmil]

Presumably "locally purchased" pistols and holsters, and army issue specs?

[Flying10uk]

Presumably "locally purchased" pistols

Looking at the original photo under a magnifying glass they looked like, from what I could see of them as Browning Hi-Power pistols

[Surpmil]

Am no expert but I would think Browning 1903 pistols from the angle on the rear of the slide and frame. Have never seen photos of flap-less holsters being worn either.

[Gil Boyd]

So many brave people in Military Medical circles right from the start of wars many unarmed.
Even today so many gallantry awards for those who want to administer first aid and bring people back from the front line alive!!

[erich51]

So brave of him. Serving the nation wholeheartedly