{"product_id":"ww2-canadian-named-rcamc-tam-oshanter-regimental-medical-officer-john-w-b-barr","title":"WW2 Canadian Named RCAMC Tam O'Shanter Regimental Medical Officer John W.B. Barr","description":"\u003cp\u003eKhaki material Tam, with ribbons to the reverse, and badge baking of the same material to the front side, with a brass WW2 RCAMC cap badge in place. British made, with manufactures label in place to the interior, Wm, Anderson \u0026amp; Sons Ltd,. Edinburgh and Glasgow. Period, hand applied naming to John W.B. Barr, RCAMC. SKU: 65791\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarr joined the\u003cspan\u003e COTC\u003c\/span\u003e while attending medical school, \u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-3\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003ein 1934.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-auto_4-0\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eIn 1940, after a brief period of employment at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, \"he joined the RCAMC in the rank of Lieutenant and was posted to the 23rd Field Ambulance\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-auto_4-1\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Wilmer_Browning_Barr#cite_note-auto-4\" id=\"mwIw\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mw-reflink-text\" id=\"mwJA\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"cite-bracket\" id=\"mwJg\"\u003e]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eas a medical officer.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-5\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAt the time he joined, the 23rd was stationed on Porter's Island in\u003cspan\u003e Ottawa, Ontario. \u003c\/span\u003eShortly after Barr joined the 23rd, the unit was moved to Camp Derbert, in\u003cspan\u003e Nova Scotia \u003c\/span\u003eand the following year, was sent overseas to\u003cspan\u003e England.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-7\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"mwNg\"\u003eOver the course of the next two years, he was posted to different units to temporarily replace their Regimental Medical Officers. One such unit was the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, then stationed in\u003cspan\u003e Aldershot England\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(several different periods in 1941). \u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-8\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003eAnother, in 1942, was 9 Canadian Infantry Brigade, where he was attached to the\u003cspan\u003e Highland Light Infantry Of Canada, \u003c\/span\u003e which was stationed in Loch Ailort,\u003cspan\u003e Scotland at\u003c\/span\u003e the time.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-9\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"mwQw\"\u003eIn the fall of 1943, Barr received his first permanent posting as Regimental Medical Officer with the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Though, the following year, he was posted to \"Headquarters, 3 Canadian Infantry Division, as the Staff Learner in the Office of the [Assistant Director of Medical Services (Army), That summer, after visiting the 23rd and seeing the number of casualties (largely from the Highland Light Infantry of Canada) that his former colleagues were dealing with, he asked his superiors to be sent to a field ambulance unit; his request was granted and he was sent to 22nd Field Ambulance. Barr contextualizes his reasoning for this decision within his autobiography, From Barnyard to Battlefield and Beyond: The Story of a Military Medical Officer, when he states that: \"If I stayed [in the position at the office of the Assistant Director of Medical Services (Army) I would never know [what went on at the front], and the war might end without my ever experiencing the task for which I had joined the Army – to aid the soldiers directly.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-11\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"mwTA\"\u003eIn February 1945, Barr was promoted to major and posted back to the 23rd Field Ambulance as a company commander; and was quickly placed in the position of Second-in-Command (2\/IC) of the unit. \u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-12\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003eThree months later, the war was over and he married Nursing Matron Marion Sarah Crawford, who he had met during his final years of medical school while working at the Kingston Psychiatric Hospital where Marion was the Superintendent of Nurses. Marion had also joined the\u003cspan\u003e RCAMC\u003c\/span\u003e though in 1942, in the rank of lieutenant, and she served with several units during the war, including the 12th Canadian General Hospital.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-13\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShortly after their wedding, Barr returned to his unit, which was then stationed in the Netherlands, as the commanding officer. He remained in the position for several months until he was posted to 6 Canadian Field Dressing Station as the commanding officer.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-14\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"mwWg\"\u003eUpon returning to Canada in 1946, Barr was posted to the headquarters of the Prairie Command as a deputy commander and medical officer in Winnipeg, Manitoba.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-15\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe following year, he was posted to the\u003cspan\u003e RCAMC\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eSchool at Borden, in Barrie, Ontario as Chief Instructor.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-16\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHe remained in the position until 1951; at which time, he was sent to England on a Senior Officers' course.\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-17\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe following year, he was posted as commanding officer to 79 Field Ambulance, stationed in\u003cspan\u003e Hanover Germany,\u003c\/span\u003e \"in support of the Canadian Brigade with the\u003cspan\u003e NATO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eforce in\u003cspan\u003e Germany.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-18\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"mwbw\"\u003eAfter returning to Canada in 1954, Barr was appointed assistant director of Medical Services (Army); remaining in the position until 1957, when he returned to university for a brief period. In 1959, newly promoted to colonel, Barr was posted as commanding officer to the Kingston Military Hospital. \u003csup class=\"mw-ref reference\" id=\"cite_ref-19\" rel=\"dc:references\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003eTwo years later, he was posted back to the staff of the Surgeon General as Assistant Surgeon General (Personnel). He remained in the position until 1964; at which time, he was posted to the National Defence College in\u003cspan\u003e Kingston, Ontario\u003c\/span\u003e as a student. Following this posting, Barr was promoted to brigadier-general in 1966 and appointed Deputy Surgeon General (Administration).\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHe held his position until 1970, when he was promoted to major-general and appointed Surgeon General\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canadian Soldier Militaria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52344704172328,"sku":"65791","price":850.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/5646\/6216\/files\/26A.png?v=1788827042","url":"https:\/\/thecanadiansoldier.com\/products\/ww2-canadian-named-rcamc-tam-oshanter-regimental-medical-officer-john-w-b-barr","provider":"Canadian Soldier Militaria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}