Eminson, Ralph Franklin
photo from David Capes
R.F. EMINSON DSO
Ralph Franklin Eminson DSO, MB, BS, LMSSA
Captain, Royal Army Medical Corps
Born 10th May 1889 in Scotter
3rd son of Thomas Benjamin Franklin (a Medical Practitioner from Scotter) and Clara (nee Burgess of Edenham)
Family lived at Gonerby House, High Street
Educated at Leys School, Cambridge and Epsom College
Studied medicine at Charing Cross Hospital, London
Qualified as a doctor on 30th June 1911
Won the gold medal in surgery
Remained at the hospitral as house physician and surgeon
Enlisted at the outbreak of war
Married Dorothy Edith Halbeard at St. George's Church, Worcester on 24th September 1914
Disembarked in France on 22nd October 1914 as part of the British Expedtionary Force
Served in France and Salonika, Greece; twice mentioned in dispatches
Promoted to temporary Captain on 10th October 1915
Awarded the Distinguished Service Order and gazetted on 13th September 1918; his citation reads:-
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When two companies who had made a counter-attack and reached a village, were obliged to fall back 150 yards, suffering heavy casualties, whom it was impossible to rescue owing to the accurate machine-gun and rifle fire from the village, this officer went himself, regardless of fire, and in full view of the enemy, across "No Man's Land" many times, and carried and assisted back the wounded, who would otherwise have been left.’
Promoted to Captain on 24th December 1918
Discharged on 19th September 1919
Joined his father's practice in Scotter as a GP
Later opened his own practice in Messingham
Chairman of the Scunthorpe branch of the British Medical Association in 1937-38
A keen rugby player; founder member and past president of Scunthorpe Rugby Club
Member and former president of the Ashby branch of the British Legion
Lived at Trentholme, Messingham then in Ashby at Bligny House and later at 2 Burringham Road
Four months after he retired, following a long illness, died on 19th November 1958 aged 69
Funeral at St. Paul's Church then buried, in what became his family plot, at Bottesford Cemetery
Brother of Robert Astley Franklin
Brother of Basil Franklin
Brother of Clarence Franklin