Description
Object description
Ts memoir (177pp, written by his grandson and based on very basic contemporary diary entries), recounting his volunteering to join the Army while in the last year of medical studies at McGill University, Montreal, Canada (1914), Canadian Officers Training Corps, sailing in SS MEAGAMA from Montreal (May 1915) with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, joining the RAMC as there would be no commission for him in the CEF, training in Crookham, attached to 17th Stationary Hospital (July 1915), sailing in HMHS NEVASA to Malta (August 1915), in surgery treating wounded evacuated from Gallipoli, 17th Stationary Hospital heading to the Dardanelles, coming under fire at Cape Helles (September 1915), setting up the Hospital on the plateau overlooking Cape Helles (October 1915), doing complicated surgery despite it being prohibited, preparations for withdrawal (December 1915), deception plans to keep the Turks unaware of withdrawals, Christmas celebrations, fears that they might not be evacuated, with detailed descriptions of the final evacuation (January 1916), and his taking the Red Cross flag that had flown over the Hospital. The memoir contains details of the foul weather, casualties, constant shelling, fellow medics, motivational talks by Captain Egan, and also a transcription of a letter he wrote home to his family (January 1916), imaginary conversations with his grandson about his thoughts about the campaign and a brief description of the rest of his service. Together with a photograph of his grandson, Dickon Thompson, holding the Red Cross flag (1976).
Content description
Ts memoir (177pp, written by his grandson and based on very basic contemporary diary entries), recounting his volunteering to join the Army while in the last year of medical studies at McGill University, Montreal, Canada (1914), Canadian Officers Training Corps, sailing in SS MEAGAMA from Montreal (May 1915) with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, joining the RAMC as there would be no commission for him in the CEF, training in Crookham, attached to 17th Stationary Hospital (July 1915), sailing in HMHS NEVASA to Malta (August 1915), in surgery treating wounded evacuated from Gallipoli, 17th Stationary Hospital heading to the Dardanelles, coming under fire at Cape Helles (September 1915), setting up the Hospital on the plateau overlooking Cape Helles (October 1915), doing complicated surgery despite it being prohibited, preparations for withdrawal (December 1915), deception plans to keep the Turks unaware of withdrawals, Christmas celebrations, fears that they might not be evacuated, with detailed descriptions of the final evacuation (January 1916), and his taking the Red Cross flag that had flown over the Hospital. The memoir contains details of the foul weather, casualties, constant shelling, fellow medics, motivational talks by Captain Egan, and also a transcription of a letter he wrote home to his family (January 1916), imaginary conversations with his grandson about his thoughts about the campaign and a brief description of the rest of his service. Together with a photograph of his grandson, Dickon Thompson, holding the Red Cross flag (1976).
History note
Cataloguer SJO