Major Richard George Stanhope Gregg
BA MB BCh BAO (Dubl) DPH (Dubl 1908)
9 Dec 1883 [Southampton] – 26 May 1945 [Dublin]
RAMC Aldershot Nov 1907
Major Richard George Stanhope Gregg was the only son of Colonel William Gregg (late Leicestershire Regiment) and Susan May, daughter of Mr J C Atkins of Carrig, Queenstown, County Cork. He was captain of the Dublin University Hockey Club and an international hockey player. In 1908, he formed part of the twelve men team which won silver at the fourth Olympiad in London (27 April–31 October 1908). Ireland did not compete as an independent nation but as part of Great Britain, although separate Irish teams were entered in hockey (Field) and polo.
Major Richard George Stanhope Gregg was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He passed the examination held in London for commissions in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Fifty nine candidates competed; only 30 were selected. The highest mark was scored by Dr Thomas McCann Phillips BA MB BCh RUI with 606 marks. Phillips was killed at Poperinghe on 4 November 1914. The lowest marks of 430 was that of Alexander Hendry MB BCh (Aber). Gregg came 20th with 481 marks.
Major Richard George Stanhope Gregg became a Specialist in Pathology. He served with the British Expeditionary Force as commanding officer of 35 Field Ambulance and 62 Field Ambulance. On retirement from the service, he entered the Divinity School of Trinity College Dublin, where he won the Downes Premium, first prize in Biblical Greek and the Weir Prize. He took Holy Orders on 1 July 1928, and was appointed Archdeacon of Elphin and Ardagh in 1940.
Service Record
29 July 1907 Appointed Lieutenant RAMC on probation. Confirmed in rank February 1908.
Apr 1909 Change of Station from Dublin to Kilbride.
June 1909 Change of Station from Kilbride to Oranmore Camp.
Aug 1909 Change of Station from Oranmore Camp to Dublin.
Nov 1909 Change of Station from Dublin to Lucknow.
Jan 1910 Change of Station from Lucknow to Calcutta.
July 1910 Change of Station from Calcutta to Lucknow.
29 Jan 1911 Promoted Captain RAMC.
Mar 1913 Change of Station from Lucknow to Karachi.
21 Oct 1913 At Christ Church, Mhow, by the Rev R G Ledgard, Captain Richard George Stanhope Gregg RAMC married Violet Leslie Gordon (died May 1977), daughter of Mr Sinclair Sutherland of Dublin. The couple had a daughter, Shiela Atkins Gregg who died in May 1988.
Mar 1914 Change of Station from Karachi to Aden.
1914–1915 Served with the Aden Field Force.
Jan 1918 Captain with the Acting rank of Lieutenant Colonel whilst in command of a medical unit. Commanding Officer 35 Field Ambulance.
20 Nov 1917–18 Apr 1919 Served in France and Belgium. Was granted the Acting Lieutenant Colonel RAMC.
1918–1919 Commanding Officer 62 Field Ambulance.
29 July 1919 Captain (Acting Lt Col) promoted Major RAMC.
1920 Specialist in Pathology.
1921 Published in the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, A case of continued fever due to Bacillus enteritidis Gürtner coincident with a gunshot wound of the chest
in a soldier of the 1st Manchester Regiment who was shot in an ambush on 19 August 1920. The soldier was treated at the Military Hospital Cork and was transferred as a convalescent to the Military Hospital Queenstown on 18 October 1920.1
24 Oct 1923 Arrived from England.
1924 Won the Norris Challenge Bowl for men's level singles at the Spring Lawn Tennis Meeting of the United Services Sports Club.
9 May 1925 Home leave.
23 June 1925 Returned to Malta.
Won the Norris Challenge Bowl for men's level singles at the Spring Lawn Tennis Meeting.
1926 Won the Open Men's Singles and with his partner, the Mixed Doubles. He and Major Charles Morgan Finny were successful in carrying off the Open Men's Doubles and the Ships and Regiments for the third successive time. In 1937, Major Thomas Bousfield Herrick Tabuteau RAMC won the Bowl again for the RAMC.
31 Jan 1927 Left Malta for Shanghai.
10 Sep 1927 Retired to retired pay; was granted the rank of Lieutenant Colonel RAMC with reserve liability.
9 Dec 1938 Ceased to remain on Regular Army Reserve of Officers having attained the age limit of liability to recall.
Bibliography
- Entry No: 598. 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 XXIII, Returns of statement of service of RAMC Officers.
- Mallon B and Buchanan I., The 1908 Olympic Games. McFarland London 2000.
- Gregg R G S and Hayes P., A case of continued fever due to Bacillus enteritidis Gürtner coincident with a gunshot wound of the chest. J R Army Med Corps 1921; 37:64-70.