An Autobiography of a Colonial Doctor

Overview

The book is an autobiography of the writer who from an early age was a prolific note keeper, a habit which enabled him to amass thousands of written pages of information which he incorporated into this text. In the storyline are to be found descriptions of incidents he witnessed during the period 1928-56.

The bookâs cover is a photograph of Gibraltar taken in 1890 from Campamento Spain and before Gibraltarâs harbour was built. It shows the fortification walls as the French and Spaniards would have seen them during the Great Siege (1789-83).

The Irish Flag represents his wifeâs birthplace and the Union Jack his. Most of the photographs in the book are from the familyâs archives and were taken when photography was in its primitive and non-pixel stage.

In his young life the writer, oblivious to the landings occurring in the nearby Port of Algeciras, missed the advancing army of General Franco by a few hours despite the fact that gunfire could be heard a few miles away. Four years later he was to cross a devastated Spain on his way to boarding school in England. On that occasion they were also unaware that Hitlerâs armies were testing the Dutch defences before coming down in top gear.

Their experiences in wartime Britain, the doodlebug, the North West blitz, his Stonyhurst College experience and the aftermath of peace are all recorded.
The writer talks about the changes that took place in Gibraltar and his fatherâs election to the 1st legislative Council as the only candidate elected on the 1st count. The Queenâs visit to Gibraltar and their connections with the Maharaj of Jodhpur during the last days of Imperial Britain are also described.

The book is one of the selected Alumni stories for the tercentenary celebrations of the School of Physics at Trinity College Dublin 2011.

Read More