Collins, Frederick Michael (1900 - 1973)
by
 
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Asset Name
E006230 - Collins, Frederick Michael (1900 - 1973)

Title
Collins, Frederick Michael (1900 - 1973)

Author
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Identifier
RCS: E006230

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2014-10-30
 
2015-05-08

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Collins, Frederick Michael (1900 - 1973), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Collins, Frederick Michael

Date of Birth
5 September 1900

Place of Birth
Poona, India

Date of Death
5 November 1973

Place of Death
Midhurst, Sussex

Occupation
Military surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
MRCS 1922
 
FRCS 1928
 
MA Cambridge 1924
 
MB BCh 1925
 
MCh 1934
 
LRCP 1922

Details
The following was published in volume 5 of Plarr's Lives of the Fellows Born at Poona in India on 5 September 1900 son of Denis Collins (afterwards Major-General) RAMC, he was educated at Stoneyhurst College, Pembroke College Cambridge, and King's College Hospital Medical School, whence he qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1922, graduating in medicine and surgery at Cambridge in 1924. After resident posts at King's College Hospital he joined the RAMC winning the Montefiore and Tropical Medicine Prizes while training at Millbank. He took the Fellowship in 1928, and was posted to India as a surgical specialist; promoted to Captain, and with a fine future before him in the RAMC, Collins was offered the post of personal surgeon to the Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, and transferred to the IMS. After only two years at the Viceregal Lodge, Collins was posted to the Madras Presidency with the brevet rank of Major. During leave between the two posts he took the MCh at Cambridge in 1934. He was sent to outlying districts to gain experience, but while at Ootamacund he pricked a finger while operating and incurred infection which threatened his life and necessitated amputation of the finger from his right hand. He was however appointed Professor of Operative Surgery at Madras and second surgeon to the General Hospital. In 1940 he became Professor of Surgery and Principal of Andhra Medical College, but was recalled to military duty because of the increasing demands of the second world war, and served in command of the surgical divisions of Army Hospitals in Assam and later at Dehra Dun. At the end of the war in 1945 he succeeded Grant Massie as Consulting Surgeon, India Command, which was by that time a mainly administrative post. He retired in the rank of Colonel when India became independent in 1947, and joined the Ministry of National Insurance in London, where before long he became Deputy Chief Medical Officer, forming and developing a new department to deal with the medical aspects of National Insurance and later taking over the medical side of the Ministry of Pensions. When he retired from the Ministry he carried on medical board work at Roehampton. Collins married Vera Curzon in 1927, they had a son and daughter, but Mrs Collins died after long and tragic illness in 1964, to his great grief. He married secondly in 1965 Marion, widow of J R Galvin. They settled at 24 Buillards Oak, Midhurst, Sussex, where after eight happy years he died on 5 November 1973 aged seventy-three, survived by his wife and the children of his first marriage. A requiem mass was celebrated at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Midhurst on 9 November 1973. Freddy Collins was a fine operative surgeon and an able administrator, conscientious, systematic and industrious. He was always cooperative and loyal to his colleagues in military and civil service. The following was published in volume 6 of Plarr's Lives of the Fellows Frederick Collins was born on 5 September 1900 in Poona, India, the only son of Denis Joseph Collins, physician and surgeon, Major General, Army Medical Service and Julie Furgius, née Rearden, whose father was a wine merchant and importer. He was educated from 1910 to 1912 at Belaeden College, Dublin, and was at Stonyhurst College from 1912 to 1917. He went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, in 1917. In 1920 he entered King's College Hospital, where he obtained the Burney-Yeo Scholarship in anatomy and physiology. After holding resident surgical posts at King's he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and during his training period at the Millbank College won the Montefiore and tropical medicine prizes. After passing the Final FRCS in 1928 he was posted to India as a military surgical specialist. In 1933, the Countess of Willingdon, the Vicereine, on learning that he was the son of her old friend General Collins, persuaded Captain Collins to apply for a transfer to the Indian Medical Service with the object of making him personal surgeon to the Viceroy; this move may have been unfortunate as Collins' qualifications and administrative ability would probably have helped him to attain high rank in his father's old service. After two years at Viceregal Lodge, Collins was posted to the Madras Presidency. He had expected a teaching post, but was sent for some time to gain experience in outlying districts. At Ootacamund he pricked a finger while operating and developed a severe infection which led to the amputation of a finger on his right hand. Before the outbreak of the second world war he was appointed Professor of Operative Surgery and second surgeon at Madras General Hospital and in 1940 became Professor of Surgery. He was transferred to the Andhra Medical College as Principal and Professor of Surgery. On being recalled to military service in 1942 he did excellent work as an officer commanding surgical divisions of general hospitals in Assam and at Dehra Dun. In 1945 he succeeded Grant Massie as consulting surgeon, India Command. On the grant of independence to India he returned to the United Kingdom and joined the administrative staff of the Ministry of Pensions and rose to become Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Outside his medical career his main interests were rugby, tennis and golf. He married first, in 1927, Vera Isobel Curzon, who died in 1964, and second in 1965, Marion Galvin, nee Arrow, who survived him. He died on 5 November 1973, leaving one son and one daughter.

Sources
*Brit med J* 1973, 4, 742 by GRMcR with appreciation by AM of his work at the Ministry of Pensions
 
*Daily Telegraph* 6 November 1973 without memoirs

Rights
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Collection
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Format
Obituary

Format
Asset

Asset Path
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006200-E006299

URL for File
378413

Media Type
Unknown