Richard Luce (surgeon)

Major General Sir Richard Harman Luce, KCMG, CB, FRCS (13 July 1867 – 21 February 1952) was a British surgeon, British Army officer and politician. During the First World War, he served as the Director of Medical Services of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He was elected MP for Derby in 1924.

Major General
Sir Richard Luce
KCMG, CB, FRCS
Sir Richard Harman Luce in 1928
Member of Parliament for Derby
In office
29 October 1924 – 29 May 1929
Serving with J. H. Thomas
Preceded byWilliam Raynes
Succeeded byWilliam Raynes
Personal details
Born(1867-07-13)13 July 1867
Halcombe, Malmesbury
Died21 February 1952(1952-02-21) (aged 84)
Romsey, Hampshire
Political partyUnionist Party
RelationsRear Admiral John Luce (brother)
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge
OccupationSurgeon
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
RankMajor General
Battles/warsFirst World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in Despatches

Luce was for many years the senior surgeon and later the consulting surgeon to the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. He was educated at Clifton College,[1] from where he went to Christ's College, Cambridge,[2] gaining a first class honours in natural science. As a student at Guy's Hospital in London, he qualified in 1893. He later made his home in Derby.[3]

Life and career

Luce was born at Halcombe, Malmesbury, the second son of Colonel Charles Richard Luce and Mary Visger, daughter of Harmon Visger.[3] He was the elder brother of Rear Admiral John Luce.

Luce was appointed surgeon-lieutenant in the 1st Volunteer Battalion the Sherwood Foresters, (Derbyshire Regiment), 27 October 1897.[4] While in the Territorial Force Reserve, Army Medical Service, he was appointed to the Honorary Colonelcy of the Royal Army Medical Corps of the Territorial Force in the North Midland Territorial Division, 5 November 1913.[5]

Luce served in the First World War in Egypt, Gallipoli and Palestine, 1914–19 as Assistant Director, Deputy Director and Director of Medical Services and,[6][7] in 1918–1919, he was made a major general, becoming Director of Medical Services in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.[8] His war service was illustrious, being mentioned in despatches and he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 3 June 1916,[9] a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1918 and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1919.

At the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Luce built up a reputation as an operating surgeon, where he was active in promoting plans for new building work. He was also a surgeon to the Derbyshire Children's Hospital, as well as Ripley and Wirksworth cottage hospitals.[10]

In 1924, Luce was elected as a Unionist MP for his adopted town of Derby.[11] He was Mayor of Romsey, 1935–37.[8] He wrote books about Malmesbury Abbey[12] and Romsey Abbey.[13] He also published a Paper (RAMC/2031) in the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, 1936–1937, on "War experiences of a Territorial Medical Officer (ADMS, 2nd Mounted Division, Egypt, 1915–1919)" with photographs.[14]

Luce retired to Romsey, where he died in February 1952, and was buried in the churchyard of Romsey Abbey.[8] He was described in his obituary[15] as being a man who had "exceptional energy and enthusiasm but was always courteous, modest and kindly in demeanour".[16]

Luce's great-great-niece is actress and comedian Miranda Hart.

References
  1. "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p394: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948
  2. Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900, John Venn/John Archibald Venn Cambridge University Press > (10 volumes 1922 to 1953) Part II. 1752–1900 Vol. iv. Kahlenberg – Oyler, (1947) p329
  3. Luce, Richard Harman. lib.cam.ac.uk
  4. The London Gazette. 26 October 1897. Issue: 26903. Page: 5871
  5. The London Gazette. 4 November 1913. Issue: 28770. Page: 7683
  6. Lot 202 / Sale 4517. christies.com
  7. Deaths & Funerals. canada.com
  8. Major General Richard Harman Luce Memorial, Malmesbury Abbey. flickr.com
  9. The Edinburgh Gazette. 5 June 1916. Issue: 12947. Page: 981
  10. "RICHARD Harman Luce". Lancet. 1 (6706): 517. 1952. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(52)90091-3. PMID 14898796.
  11. Derby (UK Parliament constituency)#1640.E2.80.931945
  12. Luce, Richard Harman (1929) Pages from the History of the Benedictine Monastery of Malmesbury. With plates and a plan.
  13. Luce, Richard Harman (1948) Pages from the History of Romsey and its Abbey. Warren & Son: Winchester
  14. Photocopy of letter (1905) from Sir David Bruce to the Sleeping Sickness Commission in Uganda re difficulties with the trypanosomiasis research. Wellcome Library
  15. "SIR RICHARD Luce, K.C.M.G., C.B., F.R.C.S". British Medical Journal. 1 (4756): 493–4. 1952. PMID 14896205.
  16. Uncovering the heart-breaking story of a grandfather's death. thisisderbyshire.co.uk. 9 March 2011
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