Lieutenant Colonel Herbert St Maur Carter
DSO (1915) MD (1904) BCh (Dubl 1904) BAO (Dubl 1904) LM (Rotunda)
7 May 1878 [Dublin] – 10 Feb 1957 [Mortimer Berkshire]
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert St Maur Carter was the only son of Major Edward Augustus Carter and the Hon Mrs Carter. He was educated at the High School, Dublin and at Trinity College Dublin, graduating MB BCh from the University of Dublin in 1904 and proceeding to the MD in the same year. After holding the appointment of house surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital, Dublin, he took out a regular commission in the RAMC in which he served until 1930.
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert St Maur Carter held important surgical appointments at the Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot, and India. In 1912–1913 he was twice granted special leave to accompany Red Cross units to the Balkans, and on 6 July 1916 was awarded the Order of St Sava 3rd Class for his work in Servia. He saw active service in France and Italy from 1914 to 1918. He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order DSO in 1915 and was three times mentioned in despatches.
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert St Maur Carter retired from the Service in 1930. He eventually settled in the village of Mortimer, where he took a great interest in people and in village affairs. During the Second World War he undertook duties with the Civil Defence. He died on 10 February 1957 following a painful illness which he bore with the utmost courage.
Service Record
30 July 1904 Appointed Lieutenant RAMC on probation. One of 49 candidates who were successful in the competitive examination for commissions in the RAMC held in London. He obtained 500 marks with the top mark being 590 (Lt William Byam RAMC) and the bottom mark being 477 (Lt John St Aubyn Maughan RAMC).
30 July 1904 Seconded House surgeon to Adelaide Hospital Dublin till 1 July 1905.
1 Sep 1905 Joined RAM College London.
1 Nov 1905 Attended the RAMC Depôt Aldershot.
Feb 1906 Posted to the Military Hospital Curragh, and the Royal Infirmary Dublin.
28 May 1906 Arrived from Dublin. Posted to the Forrest Hospital St Julians.
Feb 1907 On duty at Cottonera military hospital.
Malta Feb 1907 Detailed for duty in Crete vice Lt Maughan John St Aubyn who returned to Malta. Posted to the Military Hospital Candia and was in medical charge of the detachment at Canea.
Malta 8 Aug 1907 Extract from Corps Orders by Colonel J G MacNeece Principal Medical Officer Malta, Notice:
The Principal Medical Officer wishes to draw the attention of the Corps in this command to the following extract from the British Consul General Letter dated Canea 18 June 1907, on an occasion when the detachment of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers turned out most promptly for an alarm parade. I should add that Colonel Delarue commanding the International troops, also referred to the careful medical arrangements in connection with the ambulance accompanying the picket carried out at so short a notice by Lieutenant Carter RAMC.
30 Jan 1908 Promoted Captain RAMC.
Feb 1908 Returned to Malta from Crete and posted to the Cottonera Hospital and later to the Valletta Station Hospital.
8 Mar 1908 Home Leave.
12 June 1909 Home Leave.
1909 Company Officer at Cottonera.
25 July 1909 Returned from leave.
3 Oct 1910 Transferred to the Home Establishment and posted to the Cambridge Military Hospital Aldershot.
Sep 1911 Posted to the RAM College on a course for nine months.
June 1912 Attended the Royal Victoria Hospital Netley as a Specialist in Operative Surgery RAM College London.
5 Dec 1912 Granted 6 months special leave to proceed to the Balkans with a unit of the British Red Cross Society.
Nov 1912–Feb 1913 Accompanied a unit of the British Red Cross to Servia. Returned to Netley in February 1913.
May 1913–Sep 1913 Accompanied a unit of the British Red Cross to Servia. Returned to Netley in September 1913.
The BRC unit for duty during the Serbo–Bulgarian War consisted of Major Henry Edward Manning Douglas RAMC, Capt H St M Carter, Orderly A Bond and Mr W Petrovitch. It left London on 21 July 1913, arrived at Belgrade during the night of the 23rd and 24th July, and reported to Colonel Soundermyer, Chief of the Servian Medical Services Belgrade.
The BRC unit was attached for duty to No 6 Reserve Hospital, situated in the Savamahla, a primary school near the railway. The hospital had 293 beds under the charge of Dr Ivanovitch who was assisted by a British medical staff. This included Dr C Schuler, an English surgeon employed by the Servian Government, Lady Paget, the wife of the British Minister at Belgrade, three trained nurses, and six untrained lady assistants. There was also an English lady who did the X ray work of the hospital but she was attached to No 5 Reserve Hospital, where the X ray apparatus was installed.
The BRC unit treated 538 patients of which 521 were surgical and 17 medical cases. There were five deaths. Numerous operations were performed under general and local anaesthesia. The unit returned to England on 5 September 1913 and disbanded.
Dec 1913 Posted to the Cambridge Military Hospital Aldershot as a Specialist in Operative Surgery.
Jan 1914 Appointed to the Aldershot Command for duty as a Specialist in Operative Surgery. Attended the Camp of Instruction at Longmoor.
4 Aug 1914 – 9 Nov 1917 Mobilised with No 5 Field Ambulance for service in France. Landed in Boulogne. On 10 December 1914 was appointed to command No 5 Field Ambulance.
10 Jan 1915 Promoted Temporary Major RAMC.
1 July 1915 Promoted Substantive Major and temporary Lt Colonel.
2 Jan 1916 Appointed DADMS XIV Corps.
9 Mar 1917 Awarded the Serbian Order of St Sava 3rd Class for his work in Servia (Supplement to the London Gazette).
23 Apr 1918 Appointed DADMS 1st Echelon GHQ Italy.
17 May 1918 Attached to No 11 General Hospital Genoa. Acting DADMS Lines of Communications Arquata Base.
12 June 1918 Returned to England with orders to proceed to India on duty.
29 July 1918 Embarked at Southampton for India via Havre and Marseilles.
4 Sep 1918 Disembarked at Bombay from the H. T. Karagola. Posted to the British Station Bangalore.
16 Dec 1918 Appointed DADMS Army HQ India.
19 Apr 1921 Posted to Colaba War Hospital Bombay as a surgical specialist. Returned from 90 days privilege leave and 90 days general leave to England. Appointed specialist in advanced operative surgery Bombay District and Peshwara District.
20 Dec 1923 Arrived in England from India. Exchanged with Maj Harold Charles Winckworth.
26 Jan 1928 Lieutenant Colonel RAMC.
17 Dec 1928 Married Cecily Verena Elma Thompson RRC, youngest daughter of the Rev A D C Thompson at Holy Trinity Church Sloane Street by the Rev Canon A S Hichens.
1928 – 1929 Served with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).
12 Nov 1930 Retired due to ill health.
10 Feb 1957 Died at his home at Mortimer, near Reading, at the age of 78 years.
Bibliography
- Entry No: 403. Drew R. 1968. Commissioned Officers in the Medical Services of the British Army 1690–1960. Vol. II. Roll of Officers in the Royal Army Medical Corps 1898–1960, London: Wellcome Historical Medical Library.
- Succession Books Vol XXII, Returns of statement of service of RAMC Officers.
- Lieutenant Colonel Herbert St Maur Carter: photograph album including Crete, 1906-7, RAMC 793/4. Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.
- Report of Major H E M Douglas RAMC, dated 23 September 1913, of the unit of the British Red Cross during the Serbo-Bulgarian War (RAMC/446/1).
- Obituary, Br Med J (1957), 1: 591 (Published 9 March 1957).