William Robert Fitzgerald Collis
Encyclopedia
William Robert Fitzgerald Collis (1900 – 1975) was an Irish
doctor and writer. As an author he was known as Robert Collis. As a doctor, he was commonly known as Dr Bob Collis. Maurice Collis
was his elder brother.
, County Dublin. He joined the British Army in 1918 as a cadet, but resigned a year later to study medicine. He was appointed Directory of the Department of Paediatrics at the Rotunda Hospital
, Dublin, and in 1932 physician to the National Childrens Hospital, Harcourt Street.
He worked for the Red Cross in the Bergen-Belsen
concentration camp after its liberation by Allied troops. He was instrumental in bringing five orphaned children from the camp to Ireland
in 1947, and adopted two of them.
He was involved in establishing Cerebral Palsy Ireland. One of his first patients was Christy Brown
, a cerebral palsy patient who later became a notable author himself. Collis proofread Brown's first attempt at an autobiography.
The writer John Stewart Collis
was his twin and Maurice Collis
, writer and biographer, was his elder brother.
in 1942 and an autobiography The Silver Fleece in 1939. The book Straight On (1947), with Han Hogerzeil, whom he later married, recounts the liberation of Belsen. Other books included The Ultimate Value (1951) about the refugee children, A Doctor’s Nigeria (1960), and To Be a Pilgrim (1975).
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
doctor and writer. As an author he was known as Robert Collis. As a doctor, he was commonly known as Dr Bob Collis. Maurice Collis
Maurice Collis
Maurice Stewart Collis was an administrator in Burma when it was part of the British Empire, and afterwards a writer on Southeast Asia, China and other historical subjects.-Life:...
was his elder brother.
Life
He was born at KillineyKilliney
Killiney is a suburb of Dublin in south County Dublin, Ireland. It is within the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County. The area is by the coast, south of neighbouring Dalkey, and north to Shankill area in the most southern outskirt of Dublin....
, County Dublin. He joined the British Army in 1918 as a cadet, but resigned a year later to study medicine. He was appointed Directory of the Department of Paediatrics at the Rotunda Hospital
Rotunda Hospital
The Rotunda Hospital is one of the three main maternity hospitals in the city of Dublin, the others being the The Coombe and The National Maternity Hospital...
, Dublin, and in 1932 physician to the National Childrens Hospital, Harcourt Street.
He worked for the Red Cross in the Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
concentration camp after its liberation by Allied troops. He was instrumental in bringing five orphaned children from the camp to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1947, and adopted two of them.
He was involved in establishing Cerebral Palsy Ireland. One of his first patients was Christy Brown
Christy Brown
Christy Brown was an Irish author, painter and poet who had cerebral palsy. He is most famous for his autobiography My Left Foot, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film of the same name....
, a cerebral palsy patient who later became a notable author himself. Collis proofread Brown's first attempt at an autobiography.
The writer John Stewart Collis
John Stewart Collis
-Life:The son of an Irish solicitor, John Stewart Collis was educated at Rugby and Oxford. A writer of biographies and other works, his first book on George Bernard Shaw, was published in 1925, followed by biographies of Havelock Ellis, Strindberg, Tolstoy, the Carlyles and Christopher Columbus...
was his twin and Maurice Collis
Maurice Collis
Maurice Stewart Collis was an administrator in Burma when it was part of the British Empire, and afterwards a writer on Southeast Asia, China and other historical subjects.-Life:...
, writer and biographer, was his elder brother.
Works
He wrote the play Marrowbone LaneMarrowbone Lane
Marrowbone Lane is a street off Cork Street in Dublin, Ireland. The name is a corruption of St. Mary Le Bone; it was known as Marrowbone Lane as far back as 1743....
in 1942 and an autobiography The Silver Fleece in 1939. The book Straight On (1947), with Han Hogerzeil, whom he later married, recounts the liberation of Belsen. Other books included The Ultimate Value (1951) about the refugee children, A Doctor’s Nigeria (1960), and To Be a Pilgrim (1975).