RCSI Heritage Collections

One hundred years ago today British Army soldiers were waiting nervously and fearfully in the trenches they had dug along the River Somme in France. At 7.30am their officers blew their whistles and over 100,000 soldiers entered the hell that would become known as the Battle of the Somme . Getting ready to go over the top Courtesy of Scott Addington Large numbers of students and staff from RCSI were at the Battle of the Somme having enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). They hoped their surgical and medical skills could help in the treatment of their fellow wounded and injured soldiers. Two RCSI students that were present at the Battle of the Somme were George Evans, born 1891 in Kerry, and John Power, born 1892 in Clare. Both Evans and Power had not completed their surgical education but felt the need to do their bit for the War Effort. Unfortunately neither lived to complete their studies as they died in the final months of the battle. Evans was buried in Delville...

RCSI British Isles Intervarsity Boxing Team This photo landed in the RCSI Heritage Collections last week and what an intriguing photo it is! Luckily there are some handwritten notes on the back that tell us the following 'British Isles intervaristy championships in London 10th January 1950. Centre - Tommy Burns Trainer (a Golden Gloves Champion) Professor A.K.Henry 5th Rt. Top Row (who started the Boxing Club)' Arnold Kirkpatrick Henry was an astonishing man with a varied and coloured medical career. He was born in 1886 and received his early eduction in Trent, England. He then came to study in Trinity College Dublin graduating in 1911 with a M.B, B.Ch, and B.A.O. He became a Fellow f RCSI in 1914 and soon afterwards went off to play his part in the First World War. Henry, with his surgeon wife acting as his assistant, served as a surgeon with the Serbian army. When Germany overran Serbia in 1916 the Henry's escaped and fled back to Britain. For his distinguish...