"Sidearms carried by British Medical staff?" Topic

I'm exploring on behalf of some Sherlock Holmes aficionados what Doctor James Watson, Army Hospital Corps, might have been equipped with at the Battle of Maiwand, 1880. (According to the Arthur Conan Doyle canon.) The foreign service uniform for the time is relatively easy to reconstruct -- but one detail that eludes me is whether or not medical personnel would have carried any sidearms at all, for personal protection; or as noncombatants, they were entirely unarmed? This has some bearing in the Holmes stories when things like Watson's "service revolver" are mentioned. It would be interesting to clarify this if possible -- anyone here have any insights?

I've worked a bit on this one, but there are web sites, and real firearms experts out there.
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My own conviction was that Watson carried an Adams or Trantner in Afghanistan--no point in going unarmed when the locals would kill you regardless of being a medic--but neither was reliable or easily kept in a coat pocket. He probably switched during his time with Holmes to the Webley British Bull Dog, a notably concealable and reliable weapon with considerable stopping power.
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Worth remembering that though Watson played the Old Campaigner card from time to time--as many of us do--his actual time in uniform was brief, he wasn't a line officer. He probably simply went with the majority of officers. He'd have much more experience later, and be in a position to consult with people with more experience in handguns. Possibly worth noting that it was by no means always "your old service revolver." In canon, it was often just "your revolver."

British officers provided their own kit, the only rule was the guns had to be in military caliber so ammo could be replenished from stores.
I'd expect that, assuming Watson did not spring from wealthy stock, would have carried a Belgian copy of an Adams, Trantor or Webley. He probably would have bought it to scare off wild animals, but once in Afghanistan he would have been practical.

Fighting against civilized opponents, like the French, such armament would be frowned upon. I think? 🤷
But against Wily Johnnie Pathan, or John Zulu, I would go heeled.

There is nothing like a handy .455 caliber Webley to sort things out when the situation goes south

Yes, a physician could carry a pistol. It would probably be be pretty foolish not to carry one on campaign in the far corners of the world. As noted above, officers bought their own sidearms.

I seem to remember Watson pulling "his old service revolver" on a occasion or two, and I think it was a Enfield? Doyle makes refences to Watson putting cartridges in it, so a Enfield sounds right.

The British Army had Enfield revolvers in the 19th Century, but they were issued to men who had jobs requiring self defense but not combat arms (like drovers). They were large and clumsy and rendered obsolete by Webleys. I'd expect Watson would choose a different revolver. Still, it's an option.

Very nice responses all. Thanks to you TMPers! Good exploring here and food for thought and discussion. (Almost everything about Holmes and Watson is subject to fierce debate anyway among those so inclined.)

There are official practices and then there are practices as practiced in the field by individuals (with or without official consent), so a wide range of possibilities is possible! My starting point is to establish what was regulation and what might have been common custom.

Uniform starting points -- Watson would seem to have been commissioned in what was then the Army Hospital Corps at the time of Maiwand, detached to the 66th Foot from the 5th Foot, altho at Maiwand the soldiers would have been in foreign service kit, khaki tunics, some in home service trousers, topee helmets, etc.

I'm not sure how Watson's status was resolved; presumably he was invalided out of service after recovering from Maiwand? And not subject to recall?

If he provided his own uniform, as officers did, would he have been permitted to wear it if he so chose? (And for how long? Uniforms changed.) My wife was looking at the picture above and saying "Oh, he wears this in one of the newer movies, at his wedding." (of course, that is the movies, so no rules.)

He would have been permitted to wear his uniform. In the film your wife refers to (Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows) he wears the frock coat (with medals) and uniform trousers at his dinner with Homes and Mary, and then at his stag night with Holmes and Mycroft. It is similar to this:

uniformology.com/HHC-04.html

At his wedding, he retains only his uniform trousers. The stag party had got out of hand and he shows up (late and hungover) in a shabby tailcoat and mismatched waistcoat.

Nice! And what a fine website! Bookmarked!

It really is an amazing resource, particularly when you consider he does those illustrations himself!

Piper, Watson is pretty much opaque on the subject--as you might expect from a man who limped from a shoulder wound! A daily 11 shillings 3 pence is mentioned in A Study in Scarlet--just over 200 pounds a year, which was enough to live on in London in those years, but not the way Watson blew through money. (Drinks at the Criterion Bar, and half of it going to playing the ponies.) You can see why he had to share rooms with Holmes. But you only see him practicing medicine when he had a wife to support.

My own feeling is that a convalescent allowance paid out when he first arrived in London was at some point converted into a disability pension. Possibly Sherlock had a word with Mycroft on the subject? Or Mycroft might have decided on his own that Watson was a stabilizing influence on his younger brother. We have no explicit mention, but I also suspect that Watson came in for some share of Holmes' fee when he aided Holmes on a case. There is just a hint of this in "The Priory School" but it's by no means certain. Still, Mary Watson was always happy to send him out on cases with Holmes, which reinforces my suspicion that it paid better than his medical practice.

Really nice input in this discussion, I'm sharing it all plus the links with our local Holmesian society (The Notorious Canary Trainers of Madison, WI., recognized by the Baker Street Irregulars organization.)