Captain Charles Benjamin COHEN MRCS (Eng) LRCP (Lond)
Royal Army Medical Corps attached to the 9th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment

Date of birth: 15th August 1894
Date of death: 10th February 1952

Died aged 57
Unknown
Charles Benjamin Cohen was born at “Kingsbridge”, Grange Road, Eastbourne on the 15th of August 1894 the eldest son of Sir Benjamin Arthur Cohen KC, a barrister at law, and Marguerite Abigail (nee Cohen) Cohen of “Champions”, Limpsfield in Surrey. He was christened at St Peter's Church, Limpsfield on the 8th of May 1906.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until April 1906 when he left for a seaside school before going on to Rugby School from May 1909 to 1913 where he was a member of the Rugby XV. He matriculated for Trinity College Cambridge in June 1913 and entered the college on the 10th of October 1913 where he read medicine and achieved a BA. He was a member of the Cambridge University Officer Training Corps. He went on to study medicine at St Thomas’ Hospital from 1916 becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (England) in 1918 and and was added to the Medical Register on the 4th of February 1918. He was a member of the University of London Officer Training Corps.

He was holding a house appointment at St Thomas’ Hospital when he applied for a commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps (Special Reserve of Officers) on the 2nd of February 1918. He underwent a medical examination at the Duke of York's Headquarters at Chelsea on the same day where it was recorded that he was five feet nine and half inches tall, that he weighed 139lbs and that he was fit for general service.

He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps on the 8th of April 1918 and was posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps Officers School of Instruction at Blackpool on the same day. He went to France where he served with the 9th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment and with the 2/2nd Wessex Field Ambulance.

He was attached to the 73rd General Hospital when he was taken ill and evacuated to England from le Havre on the 29th of September 1918, landing at Southampton the following day. He was admitted to the Prince of Wales' Hospital on the 1st of October 1918.

A Medical Board was convened at 2nd Eastern General Hospital on the 28th of February 1919 to review his case: -

"Under treatment in this hospital. No pyrexia since admission. Limb pains are in abeyance. Shortness of breath and pyrexia have improved. general condition still not satisfactory."

On the 23rd of October 1919 a further Medical Board reported: -

"Conditions remain the same. No improvement since the last board. Heart irregular. No bruit. Marked tachycardia on exertion. Is slightly anaemic, and general condition poor."

He was demobilised at the Dispersal Unit at Crystal Palace on the 17th of December 1919 and achieved the diploma, Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (London) in 1919. After demobilisation he served as Hon. House Surgeon at St Thomas' and later as a house physician at the Brompton Hospital. He graduated as MB, B Chir and in 1920 he qualified as an MD (Camb).

In 1921 he was married to Winifred Dorothy (nee Ernest) and they had a daughter, Anne, born on the 16th of July 1922. By 1923 they had moved to 5 Dorset Gardens in Brighton where he went into a general practice, and they had a son Charles John, born in 1924.

In 1931 he became a partner in a general practice in Oxted living at his parent home of “Champions” in Limpsfield but later moved to a practice in New Malden and lived at “The Red House”, Nelson Road, New Malden in Surrey. By 1939 he had returned to Oxted and was living at “Beeley”, Godstone Road in the town. He was Hon Medical Officer for the Kingston Victoria Cottage Hospital, Oxted Cottage Hospital and for Edenbridge Cottage Hospital. He was a keen golfer and was lecturer to a local branch of the Red Cross Society. He was also doctor to most of the schools in the local area.

On his death a friend wrote:-

" Dr. C. B. Cohen, known to a large circle of friends as Charles, will be badly missed, as he was a very conscientious doctor, nothing ever being too much trouble: he was always available and good at relieving the anxieties of relations. These were his great characteristics his competence and his conscientiousness-and he will long be remembered in Oxted and Limpsfield for them".

He died at St Thomas' Hospital in London.

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