Royal Army Medical Corps

Royal Army Medical Corps

Cap badge of the Royal Army Medical Corps
Active 1898 - present day
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Nickname The Linseed Lancers
Motto In Arduis Fidelis (Faithful in Adversity)
March Quick: Here's a Health unto His Majesty (arr. A.J. Thornburrow)
Slow: Her bright smile haunts me still (J Campbell)
Anniversaries Corps Day (23 June)

The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. Together with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps and Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, the RAMC forms the British Army's essential Army Medical Services.

The RAMC does not carry a Regimental Colour or Queen's Colour, although it has a Regimental Flag. Nor does it have battle honours, as elements of the corps have been present in almost every single war the army has fought. Because it is not a fighting arm, under the Geneva Conventions, members of the RAMC may only use their weapons for self-defence. For this reason, there are two traditions that the RAMC perform when on parade:

Unlike medical officers in some other countries, medical officers in the RAMC (and the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force) do not use the "Dr" prefix, in parentheses or otherwise, but only their rank, although they may be addressed informally as "Doctor".

Contents

Insignia

The RAMC, like every other British regiment, has its own distinctive unit insignia.

History

Medical services in the British armed services go as far back as the formation of the Standing Regular Army after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. This was the first time a career was provided for a Medical Officer (MO), known as the Regimental Surgeon, both in peacetime and in war. The Army was formed entirely on a regimental basis, and an MO with a Warrant Officer as his Assistant Surgeon was appointed to each regiment, which also provided a hospital. The MO was also for the first time concerned in the continuing health of his troops, and not limited to just battlefield medicine.

This regimental basis of appointment for MOs continued until 1873, when a co-ordinated army medical service was set up. To join, a doctor needed to be qualified and single, and then undergo a further examination in physiology, surgery, medicine, zoology, botany and physical geography including meteorology, and also to satisfy various other requirements (including having dissected the whole body at least once and having attended 12 midwifery cases); the results were published in three classes by an Army Medical School, which had been set up in 1860 and moved in 1863 to Netley outside Southampton[1].

There was much unhappiness in the Army Medical Service in the following years: medical officers did not actually have military rank but “advantages corresponding to relative military rank” (such as choice of quarters, rates of lodging money, servants, fuel and light, allowances on account of injuries received in action, and pensions and allowances to widows and families). They had inferior pay in India, excessive amounts of Indian and colonial service (being required to serve in India six years at a stretch), and less recognition in honours and awards. They did not have their own identity as did the Army Service Corps, whose officers did have military rank. A number of complaints were published, and the British Medical Journal became vocal. For over two years after 27 July 1887 there were no recruits to the Army Medical Department. A parliamentary committee reported in 1890 highlighting the doctors’ injustices. Yet all this was ignored by the Secretary of State for War. The British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and others redoubled their protests[2]. Eventually, in 1898, officers and soldiers providing medical services were incorporated into a new body known by its present name, the Royal Army Medical Corps; its first Colonel-in-Chief was H.R.H the Duke of Connaught.

The RAMC began to develop during the Boer War, but it was during the First World War that it reached its apogee both in size and experience. During Britain's colonial days the RAMC had set up clinics and hospitals in countries where British troops could be found. Major-General Sir William Macpherson of the RAMC wrote the official Medical History of the War (HMSO 1922). Its main base was for long the Queen Alexandra Hospital Millbank (now closed).

Before the Second World War, RAMC recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall and could enlist up to 30 years of age. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a further five years with the reserve, or three years and nine years. They trained for six months at the RAMC Depot, Crookham Camp, Aldershot, before proceeding to specialist trade training.[3]

Current facilities

The military medical services are now very much tri-service, with the hospital facilities of Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy combined. The main hospital facility is now the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, a joint military-National Health Service centre. The former Royal Naval Hospital Haslar in Gosport, near Portsmouth, became the tri-service Royal Hospital Haslar, however it was decommissioned in March 2007. The majority of injured service personnel were treated in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham prior to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital's opening. Negative press coverage during the surge of UK military commitments in the years following the second invasion of Iraq [4] has largely given way to an appreciation that the care provided injured troops has significantly improved [5] [6].

Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Friarage Hospital in Northallerton (near Catterick Garrison) and Frimley Park Hospital (near Aldershot) also have military hospital units attached to them but they do not treat operational casualties.

Units

Colonels-in-Chief

Order of precedence

Preceded by
Royal Logistic Corps		 Order of Precedence Succeeded by
Corps of Royal Electrical
and Mechanical Engineers

Successive changes in title

Services in Hong Kong

The Medical Corps provided non-emergency ambulatory assistance to the Hong Kong Fire Services prior to 1953.

Gallantry Awards

Since the Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 there have been 27 Victoria Crosses and two bars awarded to army medical personnel.[7] A bar, indicating a subsequent award of a second Victoria Cross, has only ever been awarded three times, two of them to medical officers. Twenty-three of these Victoria Crosses are on display in the Army Medical Services Museum. The corps also has one recipient of both the Victoria Cross and the Iron Cross. One officer was awarded the George Cross in the Second World War. A young female member of the corps, Private Michelle Norris, became the first woman to be awarded the Military Cross following her actions in Iraq on 11 June 2006.[8] One VC is in existence that is not counted in any official records. In 1856, Queen Victoria laid a Victoria Cross beneath the foundation stone of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley.[9] When the hospital was demolished in 1966, the VC, known as "The Netley VC", was retrieved and is now on display in the Army Medical Services Museum, Ash, near Aldershot.[9]

Name Award Awarded while serving with Medal held by
Ackroyd, HaroldHarold Ackroyd Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd The Royal Berkshire Regiment Lord Ashcroft Collection
Allen, WilliamWilliam Allen Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd Royal Field Artillery Army Medical Services Museum
Babtie, WilliamWilliam Babtie Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps Army Medical Services Museum
Bradshaw, WilliamWilliam Bradshaw Victoria Cross 90th Regiment (The Cameronians) Army Medical Services Museum
Chavasse, NoelNoel Chavasse Victoria Cross
and Bar		 Royal Army Medical Corps att'd The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Bar: same		 Imperial War Museum
Crean, ThomasThomas Crean Victoria Cross 1st Imperial Light Horse (Natal) Army Medical Services Museum
Douglas, HenryHenry Douglas Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps Army Medical Services Museum
Farmer, JosephJoseph Farmer Victoria Cross Army Hospital Corps Army Medical Services Museum
Fox-Russell, JohnJohn Fox-Russell Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd The Royal Welch Fusiliers Army Medical Services Museum
Green, JohnJohn Green Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd The Sherwood Foresters Army Medical Services Museum
Hale, ThomasThomas Hale Victoria Cross 7th Regiment (The Royal Fusiliers) Army Medical Services Museum
Harden, HenryHenry Harden Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd 45 Royal Marine Commando Army Medical Services Museum
Hartley, EdmundEdmund Hartley Victoria Cross Cape Mounted Riflemen, SA Forces Army Medical Services Museum
Home, AnthonyAnthony Home Victoria Cross 90th Perthshire Light Infantry Army Medical Services Museum
Inkson, EdgarEdgar Inkson Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Army Medical Services Museum
Jee, JosephJoseph Jee Victoria Cross 78th Regiment (The Seaforth Highlanders) Army Medical Services Museum
Le Quesne, FerdinandFerdinand Le Quesne Victoria Cross Medical Staff Corps Jersey Museum
Lloyd, OwenOwen Lloyd Victoria Cross Army Medical Department Army Medical Services Museum
Maling, GeorgeGeorge Maling Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd The Rifle Brigade Army Medical Services Museum
Manley, WilliamWilliam Manley Victoria Cross
Iron Cross		 Royal Regiment of Artillery
Awarded Iron Cross 1870		 Army Medical Services Museum
Martin-Leake, ArthurArthur Martin-Leake Victoria Cross
and Bar		 VC: South African Constabulary
Bar: Royal Army Medical Corps		 Army Medical Services Museum
McMaster, Valentine MunbeeValentine Munbee McMaster Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps
Winning his VC during the relief of Lucknow, while serving with the 78th Highlanders
Mouat, JamesJames Mouat Victoria Cross 6th Dragoons (Inniskilling) Army Medical Services Museum
Nickerson, WilliamWilliam Nickerson Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps Privately held
Ranken, HarryHarry Ranken Victoria Cross Royal Army Medical Corps att'd King's Royal Rifle Corps Army Medical Services Museum
Reynolds, JamesJames Reynolds Victoria Cross Army Medical Department Army Medical Services Museum
Sinton, JohnJohn Sinton Victoria Cross Indian Medical Service Army Medical Services Museum
Sylvester, WilliamWilliam Sylvester Victoria Cross 23rd Regiment (The Royal Welch Fusiliers) Army Medical Services Museum

Although not serving with the RAMC, Irish born Surgeon John CRIMMIN VC, CB, CIE, VD is another military medic to win the country's highest award for gallantry. He won his medal in 1889 while serving with The Bombay Medical Service of The Indian Army in the Karen Ni Expedition. John Crimmin is buried in Wells Somerset. Contrary to other sources the medal is not held by The Army Medical Services Museum.

Trades/careers in the 21st century

RAMC officer careers:

RAMC soldier trades:

Military abbreviations applicable to the Medical Corps

Within the military, Medical officers could occupy a number of roles that were dependent on experience, rank and location. Within military documentation numerous abbreviations were used to identify these roles of which the following are some of the most common:[10]

Notable personnel

See also

References

  1. ^ London and Provincial Medical Directory, 1860, John Churchill, London; on the AMS see Hampshire and QARANC both accessed 29 November 2010
  2. ^ Commissioned officers of the Army Medical Service, W Johnston, Aberdeen UP 1917
  3. ^ War Office, His Majesty's Army, 1938
  4. ^ Muir, Hugh (2007-03-12). "Storm over injured troops' care fails to save military hospital". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group): p. 8. ISSN 0261-3077. http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2031596,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-23. 
  5. ^ "House of Commons Defence Committee Report on the Medical Care of the Armed Forces". 2008-02-05. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdfence/327/32702.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-21. 
  6. ^ Evans, Michael (2009-03-07). "Chain of care: from front line to Selly Oak Hospital". The Times (Times Newspapers Ltd). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article5860793.ece. Retrieved 2009-03-21. 
  7. ^ "The Royal Army Medical Corps". VictoriaCross.org. http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ccramc.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-30. 
  8. ^ Glendinning, Lee (2007-03-22). "Historic award for female private". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group): p. 8. ISSN 0261-3077. http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2039749,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-22. 
  9. ^ a b "Netley Hospital information". QARANC - Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. http://www.qaranc.co.uk/netleyhospital.php. Retrieved 2007-06-16. 
  10. ^ ABBREVIATIONS USED IN ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS

External links