Gyllencreutz, James Randolph
The late Captain James Randolph Gyllencreutz, whose death on board the Hospital Ship Salta was recorded in our issue of April 21st volunteered for service in the first days of the war, went to France in October, 1914, and was for some months attached to a base hospital at Boulogne; from there he exchanged to the Salta in July, 1915, and had remained with the vessel since that time.
A.A.S, writes:
"His had been a roving life, during which he had visited many parts of the world, both East and West. Whilst at home no man possibly had acted as locum tenens in so many hospitals as he. His knowledge of the methods and peculiarities of the different institutions of England was probably unique; and the experience gained in his various sojournings was never wasted. A sound surgeon, an able physician, an excellent anaesthetist, and possessed of an extensive practical knowledge of pathology and bacteriology, he was a man of infinite parts; always ready for the hardest work, and ever calm and collected in an emergency, he was an invaluable member of any unit to which he was attached.
Socially his unfailing good humour and cheery nature, combined with his gift for narrative and comic song, made him friends the world over, and the mere appearance of his well known figure in the doorway at once dispelled all gloom and sadness and had the power of generating an optimistic and light-hearted atmosphere at the most trying times. Enemies had he none, and many a heart in many a land will have felt the sadder for the appearance of his name in the roll of honour. He was an 'all-round' man in the finest sense of the phrase. British Medical Journal 28 April 1917
Biographical
| Surname(s) | Gyllencreutz |
|---|---|
| First name(s) | James Randolph |
| Family details | Only son of James and Julia Gyllencreutz, of "Chelmer", 19, Lion Gate Gardens, Richmond, Surrey. Native of Liverpool. |
| College | St Thomas' Hospital |
| Dates at college | 1902-1908 |
| Dept / course | Conjoint Diploma |
| Qualifications | M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. |
| Military unit | R.A.M.C. attd. H.M.H.T. Salta |
| Date enlisted | Outbreak of war |
| War / conflict | World War One (1914-1918) |
| Date of death | 10 April 1917 |
| Age at death | 35 |
| Rank at death | Major |
| Cause of death | Drowned |
| Burial place | Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France |
| Commemoration(s) | Salta Memorial in the Ste. Marie Cemetry, Le Havre. |
| Sources | St Thomas's Hospital Medical School Records, King's College London Archives; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; British Medical Journal |