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R. A. M. C. : Sir Alfred Fripp and Sir Edwin Cooper Perry to the Rescue 3 years 11 months ago #68556

  • frippery
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For some years I have been researching the life of Alfred Fripp, Surgeon to Edward VII and George V. In 1903, Alfred Fripp and his administratively-brilliant colleague at Guy's Hospital, Edwin Cooper Perry, were the only two people knighted for their seminal part in the Reform of the Royal Army Medical Corp - so necessary after its disastrous failure to cope with the enteric outbreak of the first months of the War. They had been asked to plan - and Fripp had been asked to run - a large, privately-funded Imperial Yeomanry Hospital. This was to be established at Deelfontein. With almost unlimited funds raised by a committee consisting of aristocratic ladies, Fripp was able to ship out everything specified on Perry's plan - particularly a huge laundry. He, also, took the first dentist, the first x-ray specialist, the first masseur and the first physician ever to go to war. He also took five times as many nurses as the R.A.M.C. would for the equivalent number of "sick and wounded" men - in other words, he made the first use of nurses as central to soldiers' welfare in war-time. Proving at Deelfontein, with the cooperation of Lieut.-Col. Sloggett, how much better medical provision could be, on his return he immediately used his influence with his 'friend,' King Edward VII, to pressure his ministers to act swiftly. The new Minister for War, Brodrick, was keen to get a committee together and, with the aid of Fripp's notes and Perry's plan, they and eight other experts - with Lieut.-Col. Keogh in the chair - set about making the R.A.M.C. fit for purpose. By 1904, most of the groundwork had been done. Keogh and Sloggett ran the R.A.M.C. throughout the Great War and both knew the Perry-Fripp plan from the inside. Military historians remember Keogh and Haldane (Brodrick's successor) whereas Fripp and Perry (and the King) should be regarded as the 'heroes' in this case.
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R. A. M. C. : Sir Alfred Fripp and Sir Edwin Cooper Perry to the Rescue 3 years 11 months ago #68564

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That was very interesting. Many thanks, Frippery.
Dr David Biggins

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R. A. M. C. : Sir Alfred Fripp and Sir Edwin Cooper Perry to the Rescue 3 years 11 months ago #68570

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Welcome to the forum Frippery..... Looking forward to more.....

By any chance is there any mention of the following in the papers.....

Colonel Maurice Grey Pearson, O.B.E. (M), MB. B.Sc. (Lon.), F.R.C.S. (Eng.), MRCS 9 May 1895; FRCS 9 December 1897; BSc London 1892;
MB 1895; LRCP 1895.

Mike
Life Member
Past-President Calgary
Military Historical Society
O.M.R.S. 1591

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