Herbert St Maur Carter
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert St Maur Carter D.S.O., M.D. (7 May 1878 - 10 February 1957) was an Irish-born British military officer, doctor and surgeon, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and the British Red Cross, and was decorated by both the British and Serbian governments.
He was born in Ireland, the son of Major Edward Augustus Carter, 1st Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters
, and the Hon Mary Hannah Augusta of Clifton House, Dublin, daughter of Charles Hemphill, 1st Baron Hemphill
. His Great Grandfather was Lord Frederick Spencer Hamilton
, the sixth son of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
and Lady Louisa Jane Russell
, the daughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.
St Maur Carter was initially educated at Framlingham College
, Suffolk, he then studied medicine and surgery at Trinity College, Dublin
where he qualified M.B., B.Ch. with honours in 1904, and proceeded to M.D.
the same year. After qualifying he took up a position as House-Surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital, Dublin
, However, after passing his army surgical/medical entry exams he took a regular army commission with the Royal Army Medical Corps
on 30 April 1904, serving as a Lieutenant on probation and being confirmed in the rank the following year on 2 July 1905.
Om 1 September 1904 he had his paper, "A Steriliser for Infected Discharges" published in the Dublin Journal of Medical Science.
On 1 July 1905, St Maur Cater was seconded to the Adelaide Hospital in Dublin
Between 1906-10 he served in Malta as a General Surgeon, and on 3 March 1908 he was promoted to Captain
.
In 1912-13, St Maur Carter served with the British Red Cross
Commission in Serbia as an R.A.M.C. Surgeon Captain, and commanded one of twelve Red Cross units during the First Balkan War
. For his distinguished service during these operations he was made a Commander of the Serbian Order of St Sava by the King of Serbia.
On 19 August 1914, St Maur Carter first entered the Theatre of War in France and Flanders with 5 Field Ambulance
R.A.M.C., which was attached to the Second Division of the British Expeditionary Force, and was part of General Sir Douglas Haig's
I Corps.
On 17 February 1915 (London Gazette
), he was mentioned by Field Marshal Sir John French
in his dispatch dated 20 November 1914.
On 22 June 1915 (London Gazette) he was again mentioned in dispatches by Field Marshal Sir John French, this time in his dispatch dated 5 April 1915.
On 23 June 1915, St Maur Carter was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
: "For distinguished service in the field".
On 1 July 1915 he was promoted to Major, and was immediately promoted again to Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and placed in command of 5 Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C..
On 29 May 1917 (London Gazette) he was again mentioned in dispatches, this time by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in his dispatch dated 9 April 1917.
On 10 November 1917 St Maur Carter was sent to the Italian Front
and was attached to XIV Corps H.Q., which was based at Mantua, South of Milan, although with the Italian crisis over he returned to Western Front again where he remained until the end of the war. After the war in 1918 he was sent to India and was based at Army H.Q., where he helped co-ordinate the British and Indian medical services
employed during the Third Afghan War
. He then returned to the UK in 1923 and took up a position with Aldershot Command again as a senior specialist surgeon.
On 27 January 1928, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was posted to Germany serving with the British Army of the Rhine
(BOAR)). He also married Cecily V E Thompson in the same year. He remained in Germany until 1929, then was posted back to the UK with Aldershot Command again.
Lt. Col. Herbert St Maur Carter, D.S.O., M.D. retired from the army in 1933, he settled in the village of Mortimer Common
, near Reading, Berkshire, where he took a great interest in the people and village affairs. During the Second World War he served locally as a senior ARP
Medical Officer with the Civil Defence.
He died at Mortimer on 10 February 1957 aged 78 years, with notice of his death and his obituary both being published in the British Medical Journal
on 9 March 1957:
"H. St Maur Carter was one of the generation of officers before the First World War, when the prestige of the R.A.M.C. reached it's highest peak; an era associated with the names of Bruce
, Leishman
and many other officers who gained international fame........He was the ideal army doctor, being a keen soldier, but a doctor first and last. Cultured and well informed, he possessed a kindly nature which endeared him to all his friends. With a keen sense of humour and a store of anecdotes and reminiscences derived from his service in various parts of the world, he was always the best company."
He was born in Ireland, the son of Major Edward Augustus Carter, 1st Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters
Sherwood Foresters
The Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot...
, and the Hon Mary Hannah Augusta of Clifton House, Dublin, daughter of Charles Hemphill, 1st Baron Hemphill
Charles Hemphill, 1st Baron Hemphill
Charles Hare Hemphill, 1st Baron Hemphill, PC QC , was an Irish politician and barrister.Born in County Tyrone, Ireland, Hemphill was the son of son of John Hemphill. He was made a Queen's Counsel shortly before being appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland in 1892, a post he held until 1895...
. His Great Grandfather was Lord Frederick Spencer Hamilton
Lord Frederick Spencer Hamilton
Lord Frederick Spencer Hamilton was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom , the sixth son of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn and Lady Louisa Jane Russell....
, the sixth son of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn KG PC , styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and the Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative politician and statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.In 1860, The Times noted that Hamilton was one of only three to...
and Lady Louisa Jane Russell
Louisa Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
Lady Louisa Jane Russell was the wife of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, and the daughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, by his second wife Lady Georgiana Gordon...
, the daughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.
John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, LLD, FSA , known as Lord John Russell until 1802, was a British Whig politician and notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of All the Talents...
St Maur Carter was initially educated at Framlingham College
Framlingham College
Framlingham College is an independent, coeducational boarding and day school in the town of Framlingham, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. Together with its preparatory school, Brandeston Hall and Little Bears Nursery it serves pupils from 2 1/2 to eighteen years of age.-History of Framlingham...
, Suffolk, he then studied medicine and surgery at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
where he qualified M.B., B.Ch. with honours in 1904, and proceeded to M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
the same year. After qualifying he took up a position as House-Surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital, Dublin
Adelaide Hospital
The Adelaide Hospital was a general and teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland until it became part of the new Tallaght Hospital in 1998.-History:...
, However, after passing his army surgical/medical entry exams he took a regular army commission with the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
on 30 April 1904, serving as a Lieutenant on probation and being confirmed in the rank the following year on 2 July 1905.
Om 1 September 1904 he had his paper, "A Steriliser for Infected Discharges" published in the Dublin Journal of Medical Science.
On 1 July 1905, St Maur Cater was seconded to the Adelaide Hospital in Dublin
Between 1906-10 he served in Malta as a General Surgeon, and on 3 March 1908 he was promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
In 1912-13, St Maur Carter served with the British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
Commission in Serbia as an R.A.M.C. Surgeon Captain, and commanded one of twelve Red Cross units during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
. For his distinguished service during these operations he was made a Commander of the Serbian Order of St Sava by the King of Serbia.
On 19 August 1914, St Maur Carter first entered the Theatre of War in France and Flanders with 5 Field Ambulance
Field Ambulance
A Field Ambulance is the name used by the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth nations to describe a mobile medical unit that treats wounded soldiers very close to the combat zone...
R.A.M.C., which was attached to the Second Division of the British Expeditionary Force, and was part of General Sir Douglas Haig's
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC, was a British senior officer during World War I. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to the end of the War...
I Corps.
On 17 February 1915 (London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
), he was mentioned by Field Marshal Sir John French
John French, 1st Earl of Ypres
Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC , known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a British and Anglo-Irish officer...
in his dispatch dated 20 November 1914.
On 22 June 1915 (London Gazette) he was again mentioned in dispatches by Field Marshal Sir John French, this time in his dispatch dated 5 April 1915.
On 23 June 1915, St Maur Carter was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
: "For distinguished service in the field".
On 1 July 1915 he was promoted to Major, and was immediately promoted again to Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and placed in command of 5 Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C..
On 29 May 1917 (London Gazette) he was again mentioned in dispatches, this time by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in his dispatch dated 9 April 1917.
On 10 November 1917 St Maur Carter was sent to the Italian Front
Italian Campaign (World War I)
The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
and was attached to XIV Corps H.Q., which was based at Mantua, South of Milan, although with the Italian crisis over he returned to Western Front again where he remained until the end of the war. After the war in 1918 he was sent to India and was based at Army H.Q., where he helped co-ordinate the British and Indian medical services
Indian Medical Service
The Indian Medical Service was one of the military medical services, which also had some civilian functions, in British India. It served during the two world wars, and was in existence until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947...
employed during the Third Afghan War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
. He then returned to the UK in 1923 and took up a position with Aldershot Command again as a senior specialist surgeon.
On 27 January 1928, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was posted to Germany serving with the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
(BOAR)). He also married Cecily V E Thompson in the same year. He remained in Germany until 1929, then was posted back to the UK with Aldershot Command again.
Lt. Col. Herbert St Maur Carter, D.S.O., M.D. retired from the army in 1933, he settled in the village of Mortimer Common
Mortimer Common
Mortimer Common, generally referred to as Mortimer, is a village in the civil parish of Stratfield Mortimer in Berkshire. Mortimer is in the local government district of West Berkshire and is seven miles south-west of Reading.-Geography:...
, near Reading, Berkshire, where he took a great interest in the people and village affairs. During the Second World War he served locally as a senior ARP
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
Medical Officer with the Civil Defence.
Civil Defence Department
From 1935 to 1971 civil defence in the United Kingdom was the responsibility of the Civil Defence Department and resulted in the establishment during 1957 of the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation...
He died at Mortimer on 10 February 1957 aged 78 years, with notice of his death and his obituary both being published in the British Medical Journal
British Medical Journal
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
on 9 March 1957:
"H. St Maur Carter was one of the generation of officers before the First World War, when the prestige of the R.A.M.C. reached it's highest peak; an era associated with the names of Bruce
David Bruce (microbiologist)
Major-General Sir David Bruce KCB FRS FRSE was a Scottish pathologist and microbiologist who investigated the Malta-fever and trypanosomes, identifying the cause of sleeping sickness....
, Leishman
William Boog Leishman
Lieutenant-General Sir William Boog Leishman FRS was a Scottish pathologist and British Army medical officer. He was Director-General of Army Medical Services from 1923 to 1926....
and many other officers who gained international fame........He was the ideal army doctor, being a keen soldier, but a doctor first and last. Cultured and well informed, he possessed a kindly nature which endeared him to all his friends. With a keen sense of humour and a store of anecdotes and reminiscences derived from his service in various parts of the world, he was always the best company."