-I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as Assistant Surgeon. The regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before I could join it, the second Afghan war had broken out. On landing at Bombay, I learned that my corps had advanced through the passes, and was already deep in the enemy’s country."
Could someone please explain the chain of events in this story, and suggest further reading so I can ? Which college would the narrator have gotten his degrees? How old would someone be if they'd just graduated med school and entered the army? What was Netley? What system would have assigned John Watson, the narrator, to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers?
Watson would have graduated from St. George's, which has been affiliated with the University of London since the 1840's, I think. Netley Hospital served as the home of the Army Medical School since 1863, when Queen Victoria took a personal interest in military medicine following the criticism of it from the Crimean War (Florence Nightengale, etc.). It often specialized in tropical diseases, given that the British military was often busily engaged in conquering and exploiting the people who lived in tropical places.
Watson would have been assigned to the Fifth Northumberland by the Army Hospital Corps. At that time, army surgeons wore the uniform of their regiment but did not have military rank. They served directly under their colonel and had officer's privileges. At the time Watson would have served, the regiment had 2 battalions and was commanded by William Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford.