Page 118 - Who Was Sapper Brown

A brief overview of the Medical Staff Corps.In 1854 a hospital corps consisting of 370 pensioners
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was raised to serve as hospital orderlies and ambulance wagon drivers during the Crimean War. Not

surprisingly, they proved ineffective, so in 1855 they were replaced by the Medical Staff Corps which
consisted of the rank and file of the army medical services. On 1 August 1857, the Medical Staff Corps

was replaced by the Army Hospital Corps. On 20 September 1884, the title Army Hospital Corps
reverted to its original title Medical Staff Corps. Sergeant Prentice was a non-commissioned officer of

this Corps. The medical officers became collectively known as the Army Medical Staff. On 23 June 1898,
the warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Medical Staff Corps amalgamated with

the commissioned officers of The Army Medical Staff to form The Royal Army Medical Corps.

73393546 Staff Sergeant Walter Lees of the Royal Army Medical Corps died on 5 October 1941 and is
buried, in grave A82, with the other CWGC Second World War burials (A82 – 86).

Staff Sergeant Walter Lees, RAMC (near right). The grave of Sergeant Prentice, Medical Staff Corps,

with its distinctive Celtic cross, is in the background

7 Medical Staff Corps information largely quoted from Colonel Walter Bonnici’s website British Army Medical Services
and The Malta Garrison 1799 – 1979, www.maltaramc.com/

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