Neville Reginald Howse VC KCB (1863 - 1930)

formative years

Neville Howse VC KCB was born in Somerset, England.

Neville Reginald Howse was born on 26th October 1863 in Stogursey, a small village and civil parish in the Quantock Hills of Somerset, England, United Kingdom. He was the second son of Alfred Howse and Lucy Conroy. ^[1][2] He was educated at Fulland's House School, Taunton, before studying medicine at London Hospital (MRCS LRCP).

His name appears on the UK Census in both 1871 and 1881. ^[3][4]

Neville Howse VC KCB migrated from England to New South Wales.

Neville migrated to New South Wales (Australia), in 1889; whereupon he opened a medical practice in Newcastle before moving to Taree, in New South Wales' Mid North Coast on the Manning River. After undertaking postgraduate work in England from 1895 and being appointed Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), Neville returned to New South Wales in 1897 and settled in Orange, in the Central Tablelands region.

Boer War

Neville Howse VC KCB is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army Medical Corps and New South
Wales Army Medical Corps 1899-1902

Neville saw the urgent need of physicians and volunteered to go to South Africa during the Second Boer War. To do so, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the New South Wales Army Medical Corps. ^[5]

Victoria Cross

On 4th June 1901 Neville Howse became the first soldier in the Australian military forces to be granted the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. The citation read:

"During the action at Vredefort on the 24th July 1900, Captain Howse went out under a heavy cross fire and picked up a wounded man, and carried him to a place of shelter". ^[6]

Shortly after this, Neville was taken prisoner by the Boers while treating another officer under fire, but was released six weeks later as a non-combatant. After being invested with the Victoria Cross in Sydney, at Victoria Barracks, Neville returned to South Africa with the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC); the colonies having since federated as the Commonwealth of Australia. ^[7] Neville was soon Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry, for his outstanding services in South Africa and was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps.

between wars

Home from war and back in his 'peaceful' medical practice, Neville married Evelyn Pilcher in 1905 in Bathurst, New South Wales. ^[8] Making their home in Orange, the couple raised a family of two sons and three daughters (another daughter died in infancy):

1. Everil Margery (1906-67); married Raines Dickson in 1932
2. Neville Charles (1909-39); a medical doctor at Vancouver General Hospital, Canada
3. Evelyn Elizabeth (1911-93); married Walter Brunton in 1932 (divorced) and Raymond Sadoine in 1950
4. Mary D (1912-12)
5. John Brooke (1913-2002); married Valerie Downes in 1939
6. Alison Neville (1915-); married Kenneth Starr in 1940

Taking a participatory role in his community, Neville was elected mayor of the City of Orange.

The Great War

Neville Howse VC KCB is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Commonwealth Military Force 1914-1920
Australian Army Medical Corps with both the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force and Australian Imperial Force

With the outbreak of the First World War, or The Great War, Neville was appointed principal medical officer with the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, charged with capturing the various outposts and communications stations at German New Guinea. He was then appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services 1st Australian Division. ^[9]

In 1915, during the Gallipoli campaign's early days he took charge of evacuating wounded men from the beach; for which he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) "for magnificent work in connection with the actual landing of the Australian and New Zealand troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula". ^[10] He was Mentioned in Despatches in August and given command of ANZAC medical services. In November he was appointed director of the AIF’s medical services, with the rank of Surgeon General, overseeing medical services in England, France, and Egypt.

His commitment was once more recognised, with creation as Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) 'for distinguished service as administrator of Australian troops in England, France and Egypt with the AIF (as Surgeon-General AAMC)'. ^[11] He was promoted to Major General in 1917 and later served as the Director General of Medical Services. In the King's Birthday Honours 1919 Neville was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) and Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in recognition of his service saving lives throughout the war. ^[12] For his additional war service he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

no more war

Sir Neville Howse VC

Neville was a member of the House of Representatives 1922-29, including service as Minister for Defence, Health, and Home and Territories

Neville's AIF commission was terminated in January 1920 and he returned to Orange and to his civilian medical practice. He was re-elected Mayor of Orange. In 1922, Neville was elected to the federal House of Representatives for the electorate of Calare, representing the Nationalist Party. He held the ministry portfolios of Defence (1925-27), Health (1925-27 and 1928-29) and Home and Territories (1927-28). Beginning to show signs of illness, he failed to be re-elected at the 1929 federal elections.

Neville travelled to London in February 1930 to undergo medical treatment, however, died of cancer there on 19th September that year. He was aged just 66 years. ^[13] His remains are buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London, in the plot next to his parents. ^[14]

Neville was survived by his wife and their two sons and three daughters, all of whom were yet single. Their younger son, John Howse, was member for Calare from 1946 to 1960.

Honours and awards

As well attaining the military rank of Major General as the Surgeon General, Neville Howse was deservedly bestowed with several honours and awards, in order of precedence:

• Victoria Cross (VC)
• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KB)
• Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG)
• Knight of Grace of the Order of St John (KStJ)
• Mentioned in Despatches (twice)
• Volunteer Officers' Decoration (VD)
• Queen's South Africa Medal
• 1914-1915 Star
• British War Medal with Palm Leaf Clasp indicating the Mention in Despatches
• Victory Medal
• (LRCP)
• Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS)
• Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS)

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Dec qtr 1863, vol 5c, page 372
2. ↑ GRO index Q4 1863 Williton vol 5c page 372
3. ↑ 1871 census "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch: 11 Dec 2017)
4. ↑ 1881 census "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch: 11 Dec 2017
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant Neville Howse, New South Wales Medical Team; accessed 8 Apr 2019
6. ↑ Australian Honours: Captain Neville Howse VC; accessed 8 Apr 2019
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Major Neville Howse, Australian Medical Team; accessed 8 Apr 2019
8. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #778/1905
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Major General Neville Reginald Howse; accessed 8 Apr 2019
10. ↑ Australian Honours: Captain Neville Howse CB; accessed 8 Apr 2019
11. ↑ Australian Honours: Brigadier General Neville Howse KCB; accessed 8 Apr 2019
12. ↑ Australian Honours: Major General Neville Howse KCMG; accessed 8 Apr 2019
13. ↑ UK FreeBMD Death Index Sep qtr 1930, vol 1a, page 137
14. ↑ Find-a-Grave ID 7709955; accessed 14 Jul 2019

See also

• Hill, A J. Howse, Sir Neville Reginald (1863–1930), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1983; accessed online 7 Jun 2018.
• Blanch, Craig and Pegram, Aaron. For Valour: Australians awarded the Victoria Cross. New South Publishing, Sydney NSW, 2018. ISBN 978 17422 35424.
• Howes Family website.
• Wikipedia profile: Neville Howse; accessed 7 Jun 2018.
• Virtual War Memorial Australia: Sir Neville Howse VC KCB KCMG KStJ.