Lionel Whitby: Difference between revisions

Whitby was born on 8 May 1895 in [[Yeovil]], Somerset.<ref name="Munks Roll">{{cite web|title=Sir Lionel Ernest Howard Whitby|url=http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/4718|work=RCP Munks Roll|publisher=Royal College of Physicians of London|accessdate=1 May 2014|archive-date=2 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032928/http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/4718|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was the second of three sons born to Benjamin Whitby and his wife, Jane Elizabeth Whitby (née Milborne).<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> He was educated at [[King's College, Taunton|King's College]], ana [[IndependentPrivate schoolschools in the (United Kingdom) |independentprivate school]] in [[Taunton]], Somerset, and at [[Bromsgrove School]], an independent school in [[Bromsgrove]], Worcestershire.<ref name="Obit - Times" /> In 1914, having completed his schooling, he was awarded a senior open scholarship to attend [[Downing College, Cambridge]].<ref name="Munks Roll" /> However, he did not immediately take up his place at the [[University of Cambridge]], and instead enlisted in the military at the start of [[World War I]].<ref name="obit - BMJ">{{cite journal|title=Obituary: Sir Lionel Whitby|journal=British Medical Journal|date=1 December 1956|volume=2|issue=5004|pages=1306-091306–09|accessdatedoi=10.1136/bmj.2.5004.1306 May|s2cid=220140641 2014}}</ref>

Rather than take up his place at the [[University of Cambridge]], with the outbreak of [[World War I]], Whitby joined the [[Royal Fusiliers]], [[British Army]], as a [[Private (rank)|private]].<ref name="Munks Roll" /><ref name="obit - BMJ" /> On 16 May 1915, he was [[commissionedOfficer officer(armed forces)|commissioned]] into the 3rd Battalion, [[Royal West Kent Regiment]], as a [[second lieutenant]] (on probation).<ref name="LG 14 May 1915">{{London Gazette |issue=29162 |date=14 May 1915 |startpagepage=4662 |endpage= |supp= |accessdate=02 May 2014}}</ref> He trained and served as a [[machine gun]] officer.<ref name="Munks Roll" /> In October 1915, his commission and rank were confirmed.<ref name="LG 22 October 1915">{{London Gazette |issue=29337 |date=22 October 1915 |startpagepages=1048410484–10485 |endpage=10485 |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref> On 1 December 1916, he was made a [[temporary rank|temporary]] [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]].<ref name="LG 17 April 1917">{{London Gazette |issue=30024 |date=17 April 1917 |startpagepage=3708 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref> On 1 July 1917, his promotion to lieutenant was confirmed.<ref name="LG 19 February 1918">{{London Gazette |issue=30534 |date=19 February 1918 |startpagepage=2273 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref> On 10 October 1917, while attached to the [[Machine Gun Corps]], he was made an [[acting rank|acting]] [[captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] to command a [[Company (military unit)|company]].<ref name="LG 26 July 1918">{{London Gazette |issue=30816 |date=26 July 1918 |startpagepages=89618961–8962 |endpage=8962 |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref> On 19 February 1918, while attached to the [[Machine Gun Corps]], he was further promoted to acting [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]]<ref name="LG 28 June 1918">{{London Gazette |issue=30774 |date=28 June 1918 |startpagepage=7733 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref>

During World War I, he saw active service in the [[Serbian Campaigncampaign (World War I)|Serbian Campaign]], in the [[Gallipoli Campaigncampaign]], at the [[Macedonian front]], and at the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref name="Munks Roll" /> In 1917, he fought at the [[Battle of Passchendaele]] and was awarded the [[Military Cross]] (MC) for gallantry during the battle.<ref name="obit - BMJ" />

On 15 November 1918, he retired from the British Army on the grounds of ill health. He was granted the [[honorary rank]] of major.<ref name="LG 12 November 1918">{{London Gazette |issue=31009 |date=12 November 1918 |startpagepage=13409 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref> He had received a wound in battle in March 1918, that resulted in one of his legs having to be amputated.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /><ref name="obit - BMJ" /> He was [[haemorrhaging]] from the [[femoral artery]] but an American doctor managed to stop the bleed and Whitby survived the trauma.<ref name="obit - Blood">{{cite journal|last=Britton|first=C. J. C.|title=Obituary: Sir Lionel Whitby|journal=Blood|date=1 April 1958|volume=12|issue=4|pages=400-01400–01|accessdatedoi=210.1182/blood.V12.4.400.400 May 2014|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In 1923, Whitby began his career in medicine having received an appointment at [[Middlesex Hospital]] as an assistant [[pathologist]].<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> In 1927, he was awarded the degree of [[Doctor of Medicine]] (MD) by the University of Cambridge.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /><ref name="Obit - Times" /> From 1928 to 1929, he was part of a team of medical staff who cared for the ailing [[King George V]].<ref name="ObitOxford - TimesDNB" /><ref name="OxfordObit DNB- Times" /><ref name="obit - Blood" /> For the next ten years, he practised as a [[clinical pathology|clinical pathologist]] and began his research into [[haematology]].<ref name="Oxford DNB" />

In addition to his medical practice, Whitby was an ardent researcher.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> From 19551935 to 1938, he researched the used of the new drug group [[Sulfonamide (medicine)|sulphonamide]].<ref name="Munks Roll" /> He discovered and perfected '[[sulphapyridine|M and B 693]]', a first generation sulphonamide antibiotic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Original laboratory sample of 'M and B 693', England, 1938|url=http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display.aspx?id=5585|work=Brought to Life|publisher=Science Museum|accessdate=14 May 2014|archive-date=15 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515022155/http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display.aspx?id=5585|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Times - Cambridge Chair Of Physic.">{{cite news|title=Cambridge Chair Ofof Physic.|newspaper=The Times|date=1 September 1945}}</ref>

On 12 July 1938, Whitby was promoted to [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]] in the [[Royal Army Medical Corps]], [[Territorial Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]].<ref name="LG 11 July 1939">{{London Gazette |issue=34644 |date=11 July 1939 |startpagepage=4763 |endpage= |supp= |accessdate=14 May 2014}}</ref> On 2 September 1939, he was called up for active service and transferred from the TA Reserve of Officers (RAMC) to the Territorial Army (Commands and Staff).<ref name="LG 14 November 1939">{{London Gazette |issue=34735 |date=14 November 1939 |startpagepage=7704 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=14 Mayy 2014}}</ref> He was promoted to [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|brigadier]] on 1 March 1942, when he was commanding officer of the Army Blood Transfusion Service at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.<ref name="LG 24 April 1942">{{London Gazette |issue=35540 |date=24 April 1942 |startpagepage=1853 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=14 Mayy 2014}}</ref>

Whitby's marriage, to Ethel Murgatroyd, took place in [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]] (England) in the late Summersummer of 1922.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=%2BnWr25nIdsFQKj%2BVX%2FPuXQ&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=May 15, May 2014|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> His wife was herself a [[Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons|qualified surgeon and physician]].<ref name="Munks Roll"/> The marriage produced three recorded sons and one daughter.<ref>Who's Who 1949, page 2954: published London by A & C Black</ref> Sir Lionel Whitby died in London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=XPX2jOcPTPhaKhryfq%2Bttg&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=May 15, 2014|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref>

In 1929, Whitby was appointed [[Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] (CVO) in recognition of his role in the treatment of [[King George V]].<ref name="Oxford DNB" /><ref name="LG 31 May 1929">{{London Gazette |issue=33501 |date=31 May 1929 |startpagepage=3671 |endpage= |supp=yesy |accessdate=02 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="Oxford DNB" /> In the [[1945 [[New Year Honours]], when he was commanding officer of the Army Blood Transfusion Service at Southmead Hospital in Bristol it was announced he was to be made a [[Knight Bachelor]] 'for services in the development of the [[Sulfonamide (medicine)|sulphonamide group of drugs]]'.<ref name="LG 29 December 1944">{{London Gazette |issue=36866 |date=29 December 1944 |startpagepages=11–2 |endpage=2 |supp=yes |accessdate=02 Mayy 2014}}</ref> On 13 February 1945, he was knighted at [[Buckingham Palace]] by [[King George VI]].<ref name="LG 16 February 1945">{{London Gazette |issue=36943 |date=16 February 1945 |startpagepage=943 |endpage= |supp= |accessdate=02 May 2014}}</ref>

In 1938, he was awarded the John Hunter triennial medal and prize by the [[Royal College of Surgeons]] for his work in the development of the clinical use of [[sulphapyridine]].<ref name="Munks Roll" /> In July 1945,<ref name="Times - Cambridge Chair Of Physic." /> he was awarded the Gold Medal of the [[Royal Society of Medicine]] in recognition of his work on wound shock and blood transfusions. The President of the RSM, [[Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor]], jokilyjokingly described Whitby as 'the greatest vampire the world has known'.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sir Lionel Whitby Honoured|newspaper=The Times|date=4 July 1945|page=2}}</ref>

{{s-ttl|title=[[Regius Professor of Physic (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Physic]] at the [[University of Cambridge]]|years=1945 to 19561945–1956}}

{{s-aft|after=[[J. S. Mitchell]]}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Master (college)|Master]] of [[Downing College, Cambridge]]|years=1947 to 19571947–1956}}

{{s-aft|after=[[W. K. C. Guthrie]]}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge]] |years=1951 to 19531951–1953}}

[[Category:HematologistsBritish haematologists]]

[[Category:Vice-Chancellorschancellors of the University of Cambridge]]

[[Category:British Army officerspersonnel of World War I]]

[[Category:AcademicsRegius Professors of the University ofPhysic (Cambridge)]]