RAMC Officers
Of the Malta Garrison
Robert Porter
1858 – 1928

Service Record

Educated at Foyle College, Londonderry, Glasgow University, and Paris.

5 Feb 1881 Surgeon-Captain.

5 Feb 1893 Surgeon-Major.

1895–1896 Served in the Ashanti Expedition.

11 Oct 1899–31 May 1902 Anglo–Boer War.

5 Feb 1901 Lieutenant Colonel RAMC.

1899–1902 Served in South Africa. Was present in operations in Natal during 1899, including actions at Elandslaagte and Lombard's Kop, and in the defence of Ladysmith. He served for the remainder of the war in the Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape Colony. Received a mentioned in despatches.¹

15 Apr 1905 Birth of a son at High Barnet.²

Dec 1909 Lt Col R Porter MB, Administrative Medical Officer at Belfast, was appointed Principal Medical Officer in the Western Command, vice Colonel George Taylor Goggin.

14 Jan 1910 Appointed Colonel L/RAMC.

12 Nov 1910 Arrived from Chester as Principal Medical Officer Malta, vice Colonel William G Macpherson who left for India in November 1910.

8 Dec 1910 At West Kensington London, birth of a son.

1 Mar 1911 Principal Medical Officer Malta.

22 Aug 1911 On Home leave.

16 Sep 1911 Returned from leave.

1912 Deputy Director Medical Services Malta.

President of the Royal Army Temperance Association. Attributed the great improvement in the condition of the men of 30 Coy RAMC to temperance.

29 Sep 1912 On Home leave.

9 Nov 1912 Returned from leave.

1913 Deputy Director Medical Services Malta.
Arranged for a series of lectures on temperance to be given in the command.

14 Jan 1914 Deputy Director Medical Services Malta.

Placed on half pay on completion of 4 years service in his rank. The Malta Medical Command devolved to Colonel Alexander Fraser Russell.

28 July 1914 Start of the Great War.

4 Aug 1914 Britain declares war on Germany.

5 Aug 1914 Returned to full-pay and served as Assistant Director of Medical Services, and later as Deputy Director of Medical Services with the British Expeditionary Force in France.

2 Nov 1914–17 Feb 1915 Appointed Temporary Surgeon General, "for services rendered in connection with operations in the Field".

Feb 1915 Promoted Surgeon-General.

1915–1917 Director of Medical Services 2nd Army.

27 February 1928 On his death, the Times dated 28 February said of him:

Sir Robert Porter was one of the distinguished group of War Doctors who built up on the Western Front the finest organization for the relief of the wounded which had ever existed. He came to his great work as Director of Medical Services of the Second Army with a distinguished record and with a reputation for thoroughness in all that he undertook, between the years 1915 and 1917 that reputation was justified.