Born at Chester, Percy Tomlinson was the son of Lt-Col. William Winslow Tomlinson, R.A.M.C., and his wife, Anne Maud Druitt. From Clifton College, Bristol, he went to University College, Bristol, and after a resident post at its General Infirmary joined the R.A.M.C, in 1920. In World War I he served with distinction in France, Macedonia and Egypt. Between the two Wars he was a Territorial adjutant in London, a specialist in medicine, officer commanding at Queen Alexandra Military Hospital and A.D.M.S., London district, before service at Cawnpore, Rawalpindi and Dargai. In 1938 he was posted to Egypt. There, with characteristic energy, enthusiasm and drive which inspired every junior officer, he prepared the Army Medical Services for the enormous task that confronted them in 1939. In 1941 he returned home to become D.M.S. 21 Group, and by 1944 when he retired, rather worn by his arduous duties, he had been D.M.S. to five G.O.C’s in chief who became field marshals, and was specially thanked by Lord Montgomery. In 1945 he became col. commandant, R.A.M.C.

Tomlinson had marked clinical as well as administrative ability, and the power of absorbing every piece of advice he sought from the consultants under his command and of arriving at quick decisions. He well earned his Legion of Honour, Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Merit of the U.S.A. In 1920 he married Gertrude Muriel Barr. They had one son, who was killed in action in 1941, and one daughter.

Richard R Trail

[Brit.med.J., 1951, 1, 589-90 (p), 644-5; J. roy. Army med. Cps, 1951, 96, 327-30; Lancet, 1951,1, 643 (p).]