David Dumbreck

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Sir David Dumbreck KCB (1805–1876) was a British Army medical officer.

Dumbreck, the only son of Thomas Dumbreck, collector of inland revenue at Glasgow, by Elizabeth, youngest daughter of David Sutherland of the same service, was born in Aberdeenshire in 1805 and educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated M.D. in 1830, having previously, in 1825, passed as a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. He entered the British Army as a hospital assistant on 3 Nov. 1825, became assistant surgeon in 1826, surgeon in 1841, surgeon-major in 1847, and deputy inspector-general on 28 March 1854.

Prior to the breaking out of hostilities with Russia he was despatched on a special mission early in 1854 to the expected seat of war, and traversed on his mission Servia, Bulgaria, and part of Roumelia, crossing the Balkans on his route. He was subsequently for a short time principal medical officer with the army, and served with it in the field as senior deputy inspector-general, and was present in this capacity and attached to headquarters at the time of the affair of Bulganac, the Alma, capture of Balaklava, battles of Balaklava and Inkerman, and siege of Sebastopol. His rewards were a medal with four clasps, the fourth class of the Medjidie, and the Turkish medal.

He was gazetted C.B. on 4 Feb. 1856, became K.C.B. on 20 May 1871, and was named honorary physician to the Queen on 21 Nov. 1865. On 19 July 1859 he was promoted to be an inspector-general of the medical department, and on 1 May in the following year was placed on half-pay and received a special pension for distinguished services.

He died at 34 Via Montebello, Florence, on 24 Jan. 1876, and his will was proved on 21 March under 12,000 Pounds. He married, on 27 Feb. 1844, Elizabeth Campbell, only daughter of George Gibson of Leith.

His tomb in Florence's English Cemetery carefully depicts his medals:^[1]

SIR DAVID DUMBRECK / SCOTLAND/ Dumbreck/ David/ Tommaso/ Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 23 Gennaio/ 1876/ Anni 70/ 1342/ GL23777/1 N° 496, Burial 27/01, Rev Tottenham/ Freeman, 230-232 / NDNB entry/ Henderson/ Belle Arti scheda/ [Medals] SIR DAVID DUMBRECK K.C.B./ BORN IN ABERDEENSHIRE 1805/ INSPECTOR GENERAL OF ARMY HOSPITALS AND/ HONORARY PHYSICIAN TO THE QUEEN SERVED WITH/ DISTINCTION IN THE CRIMEA WAS PRESENT AT THE BATTLES OF ALMA BALACLAVA INKERMANN AND THE SEIGE [sic] OF SEBASTOPOL, FOR WHICH HE/ RECEIVED THE CRIMEA MEDAL WITH 4 CLASSES/ THE TURKISH MEDAL AND THE KNIGHTHOOD OF/ THE ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIE/ HE DEPARTED THIS LIFE AT FLORENCE JAN 24 1876/ / UNIVERSALLY REGRETTED/ THIS MONUMENT HAS BEEN ERECTED TO/ HIS MEMORY BY HIS SORROWING WIDOW/ BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD/ REV. XIV.15 / F5C