65535 Colonel Philip Lawrence Eric Wood
MBE (1941) DSO (1944) MRCS (Eng) LRCP (Lond 1934) MRCP (Ed 1947) FRCP (Ed 1961)
19 Nov 1909 [Bareilly India] – 14 Jan 1994 [Barrow-in-Furness]
RAMC Depôt Crookham July 1935
Colonel Philip Lawrence Eric Wood was the son of Lieutenant Colonel John Lawrence Wood RAMC (1881–1943). He was educated at St Thomas's Hospital from where he graduated BA (1931) MRCS LRCP (1934), and at Edinburgh Academy and Trinity College Cambridge. He subsequently obtained his MRCP Edinburgh in 1947 and was elected to the Fellowship in 1961.
Colonel Philip Lawrence Eric Wood was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 25 October 1934. He served in Malta, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, and Cyprus. During the war he was in the Western Desert (awarded MBE), Tunisia, Italy (awarded DSO), and Germany. In Libya during a serious epidemic of polio he designed and built iron lungs out of bits and pieces of metal, with substantial effect.
After the war he worked in Egypt, Tripoli, Colchester, and Austria, then as senior medical specialist and medical officer commanding 33 General Hospital, Hong Kong (1955–1958) and senior physician and officer commanding Medical Division, Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot (1958–1959).
On 24 May 1957, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for brave conduct. His citation read:
For volunteering to be lowered from a helicopter into a boat in rough weather with the object of attending a dangerously ill soldier on board a ship at sea. Lieutenant Colonel Wood reached the sick man and treated him successfully.
Colonel Philip Lawrence Eric Wood retired from the army in December 1961 with the rank of Colonel. He settled in Cumbria and worked at Glaxo Laboratories, Ulverston (1960–1974), where he was interested in allergic reactions in the workplace. In the community he gave training in first aid for St John Ambulance, the mountain rescue team, and the police. He died on 14 January 1994 aged 84 years, of a pulmonary embolism with congestive cardiac failure.
Service Record
25 Oct 1934 Short Service Commission Lieutenant RAMC on probation. From 25 October 1934 to 21 April 1935, he was seconded to the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital Bournemouth Hampshire, under the provisions of Art. 213, Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion, 1931.
19 Sep 1935 Arrived from England.
22 Apr 1936 Promoted Captain RAMC with seniority from 25 October 1935.
13 July 1936 Left for Palestine.
1937–1939 Served in Egypt at the Citadel, Cairo and at BMH Khartoum (1937–38).
16 Oct 1937 Married Margaret Whincup Atkinson QAIMNS, aged 36 years.
1939–1940 Served at BMH Nicosia.
22 Apr 1940 Converted his Short Service Commission to a Permanent Commission as Captain RAMC, with retained seniority (London Gazette 26 April 1940).
1939–1941 Served with the Middle East Force.
20 May 1940 Acting Major RAMC.
1941–1942 Served in North Africa.
8 July 1941 Awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
14 May 1943 Acting Lieutenant Colonel RAMC.
14 Aug 1943–6 Oct 1947 Temporary Lieutenant Colonel RAMC.
14 Aug 1943 War Substantive Major RAMC.
1943–1944 Served in Italy with 1 Div, 3 Infantry Bde and 3 Field Ambulance during the Anzio Campaign (January–June 1944).
15 June 1944 Awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his services in Anzio, Italy.
25 Oct 1944 Promoted Major RAMC.
1943–1945 Commanding Officer No 3 Field Ambulance, British North Africa Force and the Central Mediterranean Force.
1945 Commanding Officer No 171 Field Ambulance North West Europe.
1945–1946 Commanding Officer No 19 Guards Field Ambulance.
1947–1951 Served with the Middle East Land Force. Senior Physician at BMH Tel-el-Kebir and Fayid.
1948 Senior Specialist in medicine.
1948–1951 At BMH Tripoli.
5 Mar 1949 Promoted Lieutenant Colonel RAMC.
1951–1953 Commanding Officer Military Hospital Colchester.
1953–1955 Command Advisor in Medicine British Military Hospital Klagenfurt, British Troops Austria.
1955–1958 Commanding Officer 33 General Hospital Hong Kong. External examiner in medicine at the University of Hong Kong.
24 May 1957 Received the Queen's Commendation for brave conduct.
4 Dec 1958 Promoted Colonel L/RAMC.
1959–1961 Commanding Officer Medical Division Cambridge Military Hospital Aldershot. Elected FRCP (Edinburgh) in 1961.
1 Dec 1961 Retired to retired pay (Reserve liability).
July 1968 Ceased to remain on the Regular Army Reserve of Officers having reached the age limit for liability to recall.
14 Jan 1994 Died in Barrow-in-Furness aged 84 years.
Bibliography
- Entry No: 1590. Drew R, 1968. Commissioned Officers in the Medical Services of the British Army 1660–1960, Vol II Roll of Officers in the RAMC 1898–1960 London, Wellcome Historical Library.
- Succession Books Vol XXVIII, Returns of statement of service of RAMC Officers.
- Obituary, Br Med J (1994); 308: 914 (Published 2 April 1994).
- Volume of particulars of candidates for RAMC commissions (RAMC/1308).