Clifford Sharp Trimmer (February 5, 1891 - January 8, 1974, zh, 特里默), or CS Trimmer ( zh, 屈穆尔), was an American doctor and a member of

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

Biography

Clifford was born in Middle Valley,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. At the time of his birth, his father, Morris Sharp Trimmer, was 32 years old, and his mother, Mary Elizabeth Dufford, was 33 years old. Clifford obtained his degree from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, in 1913, and earned his M.D. in 1918 from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. He arrived in China and served as an internist at (Drum Tower Hospital) then. During the Second Congress of the Chinese Medical Association in Nanjing at the end of March 1934, Muer was a member of the hospitality team. In August 1937, he assumed the position of head of the Department of Internal Medicine and Radiology at Gulou Hospital. On November 29th, he participated as a member of the

International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone The International Committee was established in 1937 to establish and manage the Nanking Safety Zone. Many Westerners were living in the city at that time, conducting trade or on missionary trips. As the Imperial Japanese Army began to approach N ...

during the

Nanjing Massacre The Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly Chinese postal romanization, romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians, noncombatants, and surrendered prisoners of war by the Imperial Japanese Army in Nanji ...

. He became one of the few internists who remained at Gulou Hospital during the Nanking Massacre and has been providing patient care there ever since, as a member of

International Red Cross Committee of Nanking During the Japanese-led Nanjing Massacre, the International Red Cross established a contingent in the city to coordinate the humanitarian aid effort. Members Activities Below is listed their responsibilities, and/or their mini-biographies if kn ...

. Subsequent to the commencement of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

, he was detained by the Japanese and released to the United States in 1943. He held the position of prison doctor in

from May 1943 to October 1944 and thereafter worked as a

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

port doctor from November 1944 to August 1946. He resumed his position at Gulou Hospital in the autumn 1946 and departed from China in November 1950. He moved to

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

in 1952 to practice medicine at the Church Hospital, where he continued until his retirement in 1959. He died on January 8, 1974, in Montclair,

, and was interred in

Califon, New Jersey Califon is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,005, a decrease of 71 (−6.6%) from the 2010 Unit ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trimmer, Clifford Sharp American Presbyterian missionaries People assisting Chinese during the Nanjing Massacre Witnesses of the Nanjing Massacre American expatriates in China 1891 births 1974 deaths Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church