Rayner, Edward

Rayner, Edward, Surgeon, R.N. eldest son of the late Edward Rayner, of Beechlands, Wadhurst, by his wife, Louisa, dau. of Thomas Petch; and brother to 2nd Lieut. H.L. Rayner; b. Hampstead, London, N. 10 Sept. 1886; educ. Heddon Court; South Eastern College, Ramsgate, where he excelled at sports, winning several challenge cups and first class prized, and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he took a First Class in the Natural Science Tripos in 1908; subsequently received his medical education at St. Thomas's Hospital, London, qualifying as M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.R.C.P. Lond. in 1912, and the same year received the degrees of M.B. and B.C. Cantab. While working for his F.R.C.S. which he passed in 1913, he acted as House Surgeon and Casualty Officer at St. Thomas's, and when war broke out in Aug. 1914, was a House Surgeon in the Isolation Block at his hospital; immediately offered his services to the Admiralty; served with the Royal Naval Divisional Engineers at Gallipoli from 25 April 1915, after the trying experiences of which he was invalided home for five months; was appointed Surgeon to H.M.S. Vanguard in Sept. 1916, and was lost when that ship was blown up by an internal explosion 9 July, 1917. The Chaplain in Gallipoli wrote: "Your son was such a splendid man. I was very fond of him. On Gallipoli he was always absolutely fearless, and would never give way to difficulties or illness," and a comrade: "Your son was such an all round good fellow that he made many friends among us, and was such an excellent messmate. Personally I have lost a great friend." Another also wrote: "He was always a most cheerful and excellent companion, and a most able professional officer." Unmarried. De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918

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