British Medical Journal Dated May 2, 1925
Sir Arthur William May, K.C.B. F.R.C.S.,
Surgeon Vice-Admiral, RN (ret): Late Medical Director General, Medical Department of the Navy: Honorary Physician to the King
We announced briefly in our last issue the death, on April 20th of Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur May at his Cornish home, where he had lived since his retiring from the post of Medical Director General R.N.
Arthur William May was born on June 18th 1854. his father was the Rev. H.T. May, fellow of the New College, Oxford. From Sherborne School he went to King’s Collage Hospital, London and obtained his diplomas of M.R.C.S. in 1876 and L.R.C.P. in 1987. In 1914 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Collage of Surgeons of England.
He entered the Royal Naval Medical Services in 1878. He served during the Egyptian war of 1882 in H.M.S Achilles, receiving the medal and the Khenive’s bronze star. Two years later he took part in the Suakin expedition and the Nile expedition for the relief of General Gordon at Khartoum, and was mentioned in the dispatches for his attention to the wounded under fire. He was promoted staff surgeon in 1890 and fleet surgeon in 1898. From 1901 to 1904 he was principal medical officer in H.M.S. Britannia, and from 1905 to 1909 he served as deputy director-general of the medical department of the navy. After serving as medical officer in charge of the Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham, he was appointed in May 1913, to succeed Sir James Porter at the Admiralty s medical director-general, with the rank of Surgeon Vice-Admiral. Thus he was head of the Royal Naval Medical Service at the outbreak of war, and remained in charge of the department until his retirement in June 1917. He received the C.B. in 1911 and was promoted K.C.B. in 1914.
For the following appreciation, we are indebted to Sir Humphry Rolleston, Bt., K.C.B., P.R.C.P., consulting physician to the Royal Navy:
Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur William May, K.C.B.., K.H.P., had a distinguished war service, and in 1913, after being deputy director-general of the medical department of the Admiralty, and then medical officer in charge of the Royal Naval Medical Hospital, Chatham, he succeeded Sir James Porter as director-general and so was responsible for the Naval Medical Services during the war until June 1917. His term of office then came to an end, and though not to continue his unsparing labours until the armistice must have been a disappointment, no outward sign of this was allowed to appear. His services were great, and have hardly received their due recognition, partly, no doubt, because of the relatively small personnel of the navy as compared with that of the army. THe good bill of health of the navy owes much to his constant supervision; he was of course responsible for the very prompt and considerable expansion of the Naval medical Service by the enrollment of temporary surgeons R.N. and the calling up of surgeons R.N.V.R. as well as for the commissioning of hospital ships and other emergency measures. A far seeing man he was anxious to do all he could for the good of his service by taking outside advice, and gave most loyal support to the civilian consultants. When cerebro-spinal fever broke out early 1915 he took great trouble in formulating measures to obviate its spread, and continued to supervise the Admiralty order, and, as new knowledge was obtained modified them accordingly. Most conscientious, hard working and rather highly strung, he suffered in health from inability to save himself labour by delegating work and in other legitimate ways. With such a high standard he naturally expected much from his subordinates, and thus had the reputation of being rather a stern master. When I was his subordinate he was always most considerate and kind. After his retirement he lived at Tremeer, St Tudy, Cornwall, and was extremely energetic in organizing Red Cross and other activities, as well as being Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for the county. An athlete in his younger days, and always a keen sportsman, it must have been a sad trial to be laid aside by a hemiplegic attack a year ago.
Sir James Porter, K.C.B. K.C.M.G., Sir Arthur May’s predecessor in the office of Medical Director-General R.N., sends us the following tribute.
I have been asked to write a brief personal appreciation of Sir Arthur May. I knew him well. In our days of active service our personal experience of each other were wellnigh unique. When I was M.D.G. he served under me as D.M.D.G. When the great war came and I was recalled to service I served for over three years under him. Although in many ways we were men with a different outlook on life, yet we were always at one when vital service interests were at stake, in spite of the possible points of contact being numerous and not infrequently cropping up. During these long years of intimate official relations no angry word ever passed between us. I endorse all that Sir Humphry Rolleston has so well expressed. Sir Arthur outworked his strength, and so eventually by his own act and deed he compassed his end. His ardent nature and deep sense of duty led him to follow too far the specious maxim, “If you want a thing well done you should do it yourself, you should not leave it to others.” Devoted to his profession, his knowledge of it was profound, extensive and always kept abreast of the times. On entry to the Navy he obtained first place in his batch, and from that moment he never looked back. As M.D.G. his delight was to enter and encourage young surgeons of the best stamp, only the best being good enough for our invaluable seamen. For the “dry rot” which has so disastrously attacked the medical service since May left in 191 he can be held in no way responsible. Never a seeker of popularity, it is true he did not “suffers fools gladly.” Towards the end of his active service, ill health increased the difficulties of a position which, if properly maintained cannot be free from troubles. Sir Arthur May was an upright man,straight in all his dealings. His King and country never had a more faithful or devoted servant. Official honours are notoriously not showered upon naval medical officers. Hence, presumably, it happened that neither May’s gallant conduct in Sofia before Khartoum in January 1885, not his hard administrative labours during the first three years of the great war received ant recognition. No matter – “The prize he sought and won was the crown for duty done.”
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