RAMC - Royal Army Medical Corps
  Home » Y - WW1 Medical Victoria Crosses »
Search RAMC Personnel Profiles The RAMC in WarThe RAMC Chain of Evacuation Contact Us
RAMC Units
 Army Medical Services 
 Home Service 
 Ambulance Trains 
 Casualty Clearing Stations 
 Field Ambulances 
 Hospitals 
 Non RAMC personnel attached to British Medical Units 
 RAMC Personnel attached to Colonial/Associated Medical Units
 Regimental Medical Establishments 
 Sanitary Sections 
 Ships - Hospital/Transport 
 Unit not yet known 
 X - Other medical units 
 Y - WW1 Medical Victoria Crosses
 Z - Photographs (Nothing known)
Personnel Search
 
Use keywords to search
by first or last name
RAMC profile of:
William Barnsley ALLEN M.B., Ch.B.
 
 


Place or Date
of Birth:
Sheffield on 8th June 1892

Service Number:

TF Number:

Rank: Capt (a.Maj)

Unit: 3rd West Riding Divisional Field Ambulance

Attached To: 1/3rd (W. Riding) Field Ambulance

Enlistment Location:

Also Served: See below

Outcome: Survived

Date Died: 27/08/1933
Age Died:

Where Buried and/or Commemorated: Earnley Church Bracklesham with his wife Gertrude (Info kindly provided by William's family)

Awards: VC, DSO, MC and Bar, MiDx2

Gazette Reference: 26/10/1916, 2/4/1919, 26/9/1916, 25/9/1917, 10/7/1919, 3/2/1920
 


Other Information:

William was educated at St. Cuthberts College, Worksop, he entered Sheffield University in 1908, at the age of 17. He graduated with an honours degree after having obtained the Kaye Scholarship for the highest marks in Anatomy and Physiology. William joined the Royal Hospital as an assistant house physician just prior to enlisting in the 3rd West Riding Field Ambulance in the Territorial Force, he gained a commission on the 8th August 1914, with the rank of Lieutenant, and went to France immediately. William was promoted to Captain on the 1st December 1918 and served as acting Major from 4th January 1918 - 10th July 1919. William was awarded the Victoria Cross when serving as Medical Officer attached to the Royal Artillery, the date of bravery was 3rd September 1916. The citation reads "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. When gun emplacements were unloading high-explosive ammunition from wagons which had just come up, the enemy suddenly began to shell the battery position. The first shell fell on one of the limbers, exploded the ammunition and caused several casualties. Capt. Allen saw the occurrence and at once, with utter disregard of danger, ran straight across the open, under heavy shell fire, commenced to dress the wounded, and undoubtedly by his promptness saved many of them from bleeding to death. He was himself hit four times by pieces of shells, one of which fractured two of his ribs, but he never mentioned this at the time, and cooly went on with his work till the last man was dressed and safely removed. He then went to another battery and tended a wounded officer. It was only when this was done that he returned to his dug-out and reported his own injury." Apart from the fractured ribs, William was also bayoneted - when helping enemy wounded, and was gassed and blinded. After the war he joined the regular R.A.M.C. and served in India where, weakened by his wounds, he caught dysentery and malaria. In 1924 he moved to Chichester as a doctor but in 1932 was involved in a car crash and died the following year. His postmortem revealed that he had been taking a lot of drugs over the years, which it was agreed was taken to relieve his pain. The conclusion was that even though William survived the war by 15 years he was very much a victim as his comrades who had been killed in action and he was given a hero's funeral.


 
 
Back Add Additional Info
 
 ©2007-2024 RAMC: Royal Army Medical Corps WW1 Developed by: Paramount Digital marketing