Am I asking the impossible?

[scrimnet]

Is there any rank insignia on the photo more than likely on his lower sleeve area?

Ady

The problem is without the full picture we are all stabbing and making assumptions...We would really need to see it all pse!!

[Dean1]

Hi,

Looking him up in the Medical Directory before and after the war may provide a little more information.   It will show where he trained etc.   I believe it is on line but access to it defies my skills!   A new directory is published every year.   He will have qualified in Civvy street.

I seem to remember visiting the Headquarters of the Royal Army Medical Corps in Aldershot - I suspect they are still there but I do not know what information they have actually got there.   My husband was doing exactly what you are doing - researching an doctor (in his case attached to the Paras).    He was extremely lucky in that he found, because of a chance conversation, that a chap who had been a scribe for the Unit was still alive in Tasmania and had written a book - there was even a picture in the book of my husband's uncles temporary grave "in the field".

One other thing springs to mind - the 3rd Volunteer Btn of Fusiliers was also at Parkhurst - certainly it was based there before WW2.   These were in fact territorials as we know them today and they "joined up" for the war - i.e. Boer War, WWI and presumably WW2.    It is possible your man was a Volunteer who joined up and decided to stay in the army and had a very successful career.

Good luck with your search.

Sue

[c-side]

Thanks for that information Sue.

Permission now granted to publish the phot

Christine

[ainslie]

Now seems more likely that the officer in the photo was not RAMC but Royal Fusiliers.

If we forget the 'Dr' part for now and think only of the 'Col', there ware two medal index cards for officers named Robinson who have links with Royal Fusiliers and reached Lieut-Colonel [often abbreviated informally to 'Colonel'].

One is Henry Abrahall Robinson who won a DSO in 1916, the other Henry Arthur Robinson who was awarded a Portuguese Military Order of Avis 2nd Class and an MC in 1918, but he seems to have served mainly in the General List without regimental attachment.

Could either have qualified as a doctor after the war?
Just a thought...I have to leave this to others to sort out.
A

[scrimnet]

This chap is but a Lt....One strand of braid on cuff...

I would also opine that he has been commissioned from the ranks...possibly a QM....he is rather old...And he has no previous campaign ribbons...Odd...

[c-side]

I too thought he looked quite old yet the narative on the back says
'Dr Col Robinson
British Army
1914 - 1946'

If the date of 1917 is correct (also written on the back) then he would have been quite old when he left the army.  Would this have been normal?

I had also assumed that he would not be a colonel at this stage - rather a colonel (if that's what col. stands for) when he retired.

Christine

[scrimnet]

I never presume that what is written on the back is correct...people get mixed up....

This chap looks at least late 30s if not 40s...I would treat uncorroborated information with caution... 

[scrimnet]

Just been through the BMJ obits from 1946 to date...No record of him there as RAMC...colonel or otherwise...

[Dean1]

Because of his probable age I suppose it is possible he served in WWI - perhaps he was a career soldier - and was recalled from pension for WW2 - that seemed to happen quite a bit.

If he was a doctor perhaps his doctorate was not in medicine ......... but then I suspect it wouldn't have been used??

Sue