Neville Howse
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| Sir Neville Reginald Howse | |
|---|---|
| 26 October 1863 – 2 March 1990 | |
 Major General Neville Howse |
|
| Place of birth | Stogursey, Somerset, England |
| Place of death | London, England |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1900–1922 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Director-General of Medical Services Australian Army Medical Corps |
| Battles/wars | Second Boer War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Mention in Despatches |
| Other work | Member of Parliament |
Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse VC, KCB, KCMG (26 October 1863 - 19 September 1930) was an Australian soldier and politician. He was the first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Stogursey, Somerset, England, Howse was educated at Freelands School, Taunton; he then studied medicine at London Hospital, before migrating to New South Wales largely for health reasons and establishing his first practice in Newcastle, and then another in Taree. After undertaking postgraduate work in England, Howse returned to Australia in 1897 and settled in Orange, New South Wales.
[edit] Military service
On 24 July 1900, during the action at Vredefort, South Africa in the Second Boer War, then-Captain Howse of the New South Wales Medical Staff Corps, Australian Forces saw a trumpeter fall and went through very heavy cross-fire to rescue the man. His horse was soon shot from under him and the captain continued on foot, reached the casualty and dressed his wound. Howse then carried him to safety. For this action, Howse was awarded the Victoria Cross; his medallion is now on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Howse returned to South Africa in 1902 just as the war was ending. Prior to World War I Howse married Evelyn Pilcher in Bathurst in 1905, and was twice elected to serve as mayor of Orange. When the First World War began Howse was appointed principal medical officer to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force to German New Guinea, with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Following his time in New Guinea, he was appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services 1st Australian Division. At the Battle of Gallipoli he took charge of evacuating wounded men from the beach in the campaign’s opening days. Later in 1917 at the Dardanelles commission he described the arrangements for dealing with wounded men at Gallipoli as inadequate to the point of 'criminal negligence'.
In September 1915 he was given command of ANZAC medical services and in November became director of the AIF’s medical services. When the First Australian Imperial Force moved to France, Howse took up a position in London, overseeing medical services in France, Egypt and Palestine.
Howse was made KCB in 1917, KCMG in 1919 and awarded Knight of Grace of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, 1919. From 1921 to 1925 he was Director-General of Medical Services.
[edit] Later Life
In 1922 he resigned from the army and won the federal seat of Calare for the Nationalist Party. He held several ministerial portfolios, including Defence, Health, and Home and Territories. In February 1930, Howse travelled to England for medical treatment for cancer, but died on 19 September 1930, and is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. His son, John Howse, was member for Calare from 1946 to 1960.
A statue by Peter Dornan depicting Howse's act of bravery is on display at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Melbourne.
A postage stamp commemorating Howse was issued by Australia Post in 2000.
A one dollar coin designed by Wojciech Pietranik commemorating the centenary of Howse's feat of arms was issued by the Royal Australian Mint in 2000.
[edit] References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
M. Tyquin, "Neville Howse: Australia's First Victoria Cross Winner", Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1999. M. Tyquin, "Little by Little: a Centenary History of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps", AMHP, Sydney, 2003.
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 2000)
- Who’s who in Australian Military History
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Howse, Neville Reginald". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eric Bowden |
Minister for Defence 1925–1927 |
Succeeded by Thomas William Glasgow |
| Preceded by Herbert Pratten |
Minister for Health 1925–1927 |
Succeeded by Stanley Bruce |
| Preceded by Stanley Bruce |
Minister for Health 1928–1929 |
Succeeded by Frank Anstey |
| Preceded by Charles Marr |
Minister for Home and Territories 1928 |
Succeeded by Aubrey Abbott |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Lavelle |
Member for Calare 1922–1929 |
Succeeded by George Gibbons |
[edit] External links
- Biographical Notes by Ross Mallett on his First AIF Order of Battle pages.
- Speech at launch of commemorative stamp issue by John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia in Orange, New South Wales, 23 July 2000.
- Australian Nurses in the Second Boer War - notes on the New South Wales Medical Corps in South Africa.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Howse, Neville Reginald |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian soldier and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 26 October 1863 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Stogursey, Somerset, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | 19 September 1930 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | London, England |
