The Life of a Medical Officer in WWI (Hardback)
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Pages: 208
Illustrations: 32 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781399041607
Published: 11th July 2023
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The Life of a Medical Officer in WW1 documents the experiences of Captain Harry Gordon Parker and provides a rare insight into the conflict that engulfed Europe from 1914-1918. Having joined the Naval Medical Service as a Royal Navy Temporary Surgeon, Parker's first taste of war was aboard a hospital evacuation ship, which regularly crossed the English Channel, from Southampton to France, picking up casualties from the battle grounds. Somewhat disillusioned with the whole experience, he requested a transfer to the Royal Medical Army Corps and soon found himself transported to the trenches in France. It was here, first serving with the Lancashire Fusiliers and then later as permanent Regimental Medical Officer with the 2nd Manchester’s Regiment, that he spent the remainder of the war, witnessing first-hand the horrors of Passchendaele, Arras and the Somme.
Parker's account not only reveals a record of the conflict, but also encompasses a totality of military life as it impacted on the medical fraternity. From bureaucratic red tape, lack of medical supplies, lice infestations, trench foot and absurd missions where the incompetence of his own side was as dangerous as the enemy, his thoughts are penned with sincerity, the utmost compassion as well as a certain degree of sardonic humour: ‘We went into the trenches for the first time at Givenchy. It snowed heavily, and our rations did not arrive. The Royal Welsh, however, generously shared their rations with our men, who repaid the kindness by (accidentally) shooting one of the Sergeants through the stomach!’. With endorsement from family members, author Lorraine Evans has revised Parker’s notes and scribblings for clarity and added complementary text to provide historical background. What transpires is a lasting and classic chronicle, an extraordinary human account of history as it ensued.
5 out of 5
Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)
This is an excellent book, especially for those Medics amongst us, or those who love a bit of Great War history. Heartily recommended.
Read the Full Review Here
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Joseph Bruce
This was a really interesting book! I am a military history buff, though World War I is not an area in which I know very much about. This book opened my eyes to the struggles and daily life of medical officers during the war and the horrors they witnessed. I liked the memoir very much and I will be recommending it to others as well.
Thanks!
This book was VERY informative. History isn't normally my go-to genre of book, but I do love the topic of medical careers / medical stories. So I figured why not!
NetGalley, Kade Gulluscio
And I'm so glad I did!
Keep in mind that this is a memoir, so it is a tad difficult for me to review this in some ways. I often feel like leaving a less than amazing review for memoirs is in a way discrediting the person's life experience / story.
This book was indeed well-written and kept my interest quite easily. I left this book feeling like I learned quite a bit about this era / time period / war in general. I felt for Parker's experiences and hardships.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Louise Gray
The author has done a terrific job of translating an account from the time into an ordered and engaging representation of a conflict which we must never forget. Some of the information seems unfathomable now, with modern medicine advancing so much since then, and this makes the book more than a memoir of war but also an important social and medical history. Really well written and with plenty of useful reference material to delve into.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Sue Andrews
Heartbreaking, inspirational, it tells of a doctor at war and is all the more shocking for the quiet way he tells of young men who were injured and died. No dramatisation or exaggeration, just the facts as he saw them. We also see the role of medical personnel, some good, some not so, and their endless struggle with the nonsensical red tape in the army.
If I may quote from his conclusion 'Tending the wounded, in the abstract, is a valiant occupation, but the reality is far from idea, as shown on the battlefields of the Western Front. It is a trade with no romantic side, a business of dirt and sorrow, of danger from fire with no chance of retribution, such as the ordinary soldier has against his enemy. It is work not suddenly of heroic deeds, but of stolid endurance in the face of great and unrelenting adversity'.
Mr Parker was an exemplary, kindly and modest doctor, who did his utmost for the men in his care. I felt privileged to read his service record which has been produced in a sympathetic style, with a minimum of abbreviations so that it is very readable, but also using the language of the day which makes it very authentic..
As featured in
Cher Ami, GWSIG Newsletter – International Plastic Modellers Society (UK) – April 2023
The Life Of A Medical Officer in WW1 focuses on the memoirs of Captain Harry Gordon Parker.
Georgi Lvs Books !!
‘There was every class of wound from a slight scratch to fractured thighs and men shot through the chest or abdomen.’
An inspiring read and perfect for any history and World War fan.
‘A shell explosion blew him on to a heap of ammunition, and the ammunition then exploded. All four limbs were broken, he was hit all over the body, and wherever he was not wounded he was burnt. He was perfectly conscious, and his cries were unnerving.’
What these soldier’s went through was unimaginable. They were very courageous men.
The list of illustrations were great to see.
About Lorraine Evans
Lorraine Evans studied Ancient History and Archaeology at the University College London and the University of London respectively and is currently a PhD Candidate at the IIPSGP. Specialising in non-conformist burial practices and funerary architecture, she is a successful author of a number of books, ranging from Ancient Egypt to the archaeological history of burial grounds, and her research skills are often in demand, as is her photographic design. Her work can be followed at www.lorraineevans.com and www.mortephotography.co.uk.