Herbert William Gallagher

FRCS Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, ...

(1917–2007) was a

Northern Irish The people of Northern Ireland are all people born in Northern Ireland and having, at the time of their birth, at least one parent who is a British Nationality Law, British citizen, an Irish nationality law, Irish citizen or is otherwis ...

medical professional, politician and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

officer. He attended Methodist College, Belfast and

Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

, where he studied medicine, matriculating in 1939. At the onset of

he volunteered for the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

's Medical Corps. In 1940, he was travelling from Northern Ireland to England when the ship struck a mine outside

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. Using his medical skills he tended to the casualties. His war service took him to Egypt and India. He married a nursing sister from the same unit. After being demobbed he trained as a surgeon at Belfast City Hospital. After the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

was created, he became a Consultant at Banbridge and Newtownards Hospitals.

Affiliations

*Founder, Ulster Surgical Club *President, Ulster Medical Society *Fellow, Royal Academy of Medicine (Ireland) *Fellow,

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

(Edinburgh) *Fellow,

(Ireland)

Retirement/death

He retired in 1977, aged 60. He became an Alliance Party councillor and a founding member of Comber Probus Club, which he attended till shortly before his death from throat cancer. He was a widower at the time of his death in 2007.Biodata, ibid.
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Herbert 1917 births 2007 deaths Alumni of Queen's University Belfast People educated at Methodist College Belfast Deaths from cancer in Northern Ireland Deaths from esophageal cancer in the United Kingdom British Army personnel of World War II Surgeons from Northern Ireland Medical doctors from Belfast Medical doctors from County Down Royal Army Medical Corps officers 20th-century politicians from Northern Ireland 20th-century British surgeons 20th-century Irish surgeons 20th-century medical doctors from Northern Ireland Military personnel from Belfast Military doctors from Northern Ireland