TOPIC:

Civil Surgeon and Captain G.P Parnell, RAMC and SAC

Born: 30/07/1871
Died: 01/04/1953

Gervas Peter Parnell, who was also known as Dr Peter Parnell in later life, was born on the 30th July 1871 in Hammersmith, London in the County of Middlesex. He was the eldest child of Dr Louis Parnell and Jane Mary Parnell nee Hicks. Gervas Peter Parnell was one of six children born to the couple and he was baptized on the 15th September 1871 at St Peters in Hammersmith, London. Sadly 2 of family children passed away as infants, Anna Mary in 1875 and Herbert Edward Charles in 1883.

By the time the 1881 census came around the family was living at 27 Stormont Rd, Battersea, London. The census sheet records Gervas as being a 9 year old Scholar living with his parents. Little further is known about his life at this time but when the census of 1891 came around he was now noted as being a 19 year old Medical student and still living with his family now at 3 Coningham Road, Hammersmith, London. Perhaps he was influenced by his father and decided to study medicine.

Gervas Parnell completed his studies and qualified as a Medical Doctor in 1899. He was registered on the 03/02/1899. LRCP, LRCS Edin, LFPS Glasg, 1899 (Char.Cross and Edinburgh).

With the Boer war raging in South Africa, Gervas must have thought about going south to do his bit for Queen and Country. So on Sunday the 1st April 1900 he sailed from Southampton aboard the “Winifredian” destined for Cape Town. He was one of 10 Civil Surgeons aboard the ship as well as 20 other Officers from various Regiments and also 704 men and 167 horses.

Little was he to know that this was to change his life forever.

Gervas Parnell was initially employed as a Civil Surgeon attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders QSA Roll (WO100/203 page 18) He was to remain attached to the Seaforth Highlanders until the 18th March 1901. He would have earned the “Wittebergen “clasp whilst attached to the Seaforth Highlanders. Parnell was then attached to the RAMC as a Civil Surgeon serving at No 8 General Hospital in Bloemfontein QSA (Roll WO 100/226 page 22 also on WO 100/206 page 186)

Dr Parnell was later also appointed to the position of CMO O/C the Bloemfontein Refugee Camp effective from the 06th May 1901, a position that surely must have been very trying especially considering the conditions and the illnesses that were rampant in the camps at the time. This camp opened on 1st March 1901.

Below is his entry:



Parnell continued with his daily work at the camp and it is presumed that whilst in Bloemfontein he met and possibly worked with a Blossom Daniel in the camp. She was a “verpleegster” or Nurse in English. Blossom was to become a big part of his life a year later.

There is a reference of correspondence between Parnell and the Medical Superintendent in Bloemfontein on record in the Bloemfontein Repository of the SA Archives dated June 1901. This still has to be received.



Tents in the Bloemfontein concentration camp



Women and children pictured outside a tent in the Bloemfontein Camp circa 1901.

It’s well established that 28 000 white people and 20 000 black people died in various camps in South Africa. Between July 1901 and February 1902 the rate was, on average, 247 per 1000 per annum in the white camps. It reached a high of 344 per 1000 per annum in October 1901 and a low of 69 per 1000 per annum in February 1902. The figures would have been even higher had it not been for the fact that the British welfare campaigner Emily Hobhouse exposed the deplorable conditions in the camps. A subsequent report by the Government’s Ladies Commission prompted the British Government to improve conditions. Another factor that reduced the fatality rate was that Lord Milner, High Commissioner for South Africa and Governor of the Cape Colony, took over administration of the camps from the military from November 1901.

The next part of his exploits in South Africa began on the 11th Oct 1901 when he enlisted into the SAC and served in “B” Division in the Northern Transvaal. He had a temporary appointed as a Captain. His “Next of Kin” was recorded as his Mother, Mrs Parnell of 129 Holland Road, Kensington, London. He took his discharged from the SAC on the 31st July 1902 after having completed his temporary appointment and a few months later on the 28th October 1902 he married Blossom Daniel in Bloemfontein. Blossom was born in Bloemfontein on the 2nd May 1879.

His entry on the SAC Supplementary Roll (WO100/272 page 40) and the SAC KSA Roll (WO100/366 page 61) confirm his entitlement and movements.

Dr Gervas Parnell is listed on the Medical Register for the year 1907 and his address is given as 129 Holland Road Kensington, London. This is the address of his Mother, Jane. It cannot be confirmed via shipping lists if he did indeed return to the UK before 1907 but there is a shipping list that shows a Dr Parnell and wife that sailed from SA to London in April 1911. Be that as it may, he is next found on the Medical Register for 1911 and his address is now noted as Haenertsburg, Soutpansberg in the Far Northern Transvaal, now known as Limpopo, where he worked in a private practice. When exactly he moved here is unknown but by 1911 the family had two sons. Gervas Charles Parnell who was born in 1906 and Ernest Parnell in 1911. There seem to have also been a daughter Sybel Jane as well but no date of birth has been found at this time. The Medical Registers for 1915, 1927 and 1939 record the same address in Soutpansberg.

Dr Parnell became a Mason and was initiated on the 14th Jan 1920 into the Norwood Lodge in Bellevue, Johannesburg. Strangely, at this time his residence was given as Orange Grove, Johannesburg!!!
During the WW2, Parnell’s son, Gervas Charles Parnell served in Italy and was a POW and when released went to relatives in Brighton, England returning to SA in 1946. He died in 1956.
By 1953 Dr Gervas Peter Parnell was 81 years old, retired and living with his wife Blossom at Forest Hill in the District of Letaba in the Far Northern Transvaal. He passed away on the 1st April 1953 (Death Notice shows 1st April 1953 and head stone shows 5th April 1953) and was buried in Tzaneen Cemetery. Blossom lived to be 95 years old and passed away in 1974.

Surgeon/Captain G.P. Parnell’s full medal entitlement is:

QSA with 3 clasps
KSA with 2 clasps

Thank You for a great piece of research...… Mike