Edmond Townsend

Surgeon-General Sir Edmond Townsend, KCB, CMG, RAMC; MA, MD, MCh Degrees from Queen's University of Ireland (22 April 1845 - 2 January 1917), was a British army medical officer. He joined the British army in 1867 and in a career spanning 38 years rose to become surgeon-general, the most senior ranking medical officer in the British army.

Sir Edmond Townsend in army uniform, circa 1904.

Townsend served in nine overseas campaigns with the British army from 1867 to 1902 later becoming Principal Medical Officer of Netley Military Hospital, a role he held until his retirement in 1905. He was decorated several times for bravery during his army career and was mentioned in company dispatches on five separate occasions. He was knighted, receiving the K.C.B. in 1904 in recognition of his distinguished army career during which he had been both severely and dangerously wounded in action. After his retirement in 1905 he lived in London and Ireland, where he died at Clontymon, County Cork on 2 January 1917, aged 71.

Early life and education

Townsend was born in Cork the 5th of 13 children of Surgeon William C. Townsend MD of Cork. Following his father into medicine he took degrees of M.A., M.D. and M.Ch. at Queen's University of Ireland.

Career

1 April 1867 joins the British army as assistant surgeon

1 March 1873 appointed surgeon

1 April 1879 appointed surgeon major

25 September 1901 appointed surgeon-general in the Army Medical Service[1]

October 1902 appointed principal medical officer of Netley Military Hospital

24 June 1904 appointed K.C.B.

22 April 1905 retires from service

Military Record

Abyssinia 1867-68 Battle of Arogee, received Abyssinian War medal.

Perak expedition in the Malay peninsula 1875-76, severely wounded. Medal with Perak clasp. This was also the first time the British Indian army Gurkha Regiment was employed outside India. (See Kaisers Cross link)

Anglo-Zulu War 1879.1879 Zulu war Principal Medical Officer with Northern Column and subsequently Wood's Column, Medical Officer to 2nd/21st Foot, battle of Ulundi and operations against King Sekhukhune, mentioned in dispatches, South Africa medal with clasp.

Anglo-Egyptian War 1882 actions of Kassassin and battle of Tel el-Kebir, Egyptian War medal with clasp and Khedive's bronze star.

Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885-1886. India General Service Medal with clasp.

The Ashanti Expedition[2] also known as the Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War 1895-96. Mentioned in dispatches, Ashanti Star.

North-West Frontier 1897-98. Served under Sir William Lockheart as principal medical officer (P.M.O.) in the first Mohmand campaign, mentioned in dispatches. P.M.O. of 1st Division Tirah campaign. Actions of Samana and Arhanga passes and operations in Bazar Valley mentioned in dispatches, medal with two clasps and C.B.

Second Boer War 1899-1902. Served as P.M.O. of 1st Division and later P.M.O. Western District, actions of Enslin, Modder River, Magersfontein and Paardeberg and relief of Kimberly, mentioned in dispatches. From Lieutenant General Lord Methuen's dispatch, 23 November 1899:

"By 10.30 my division was in camp, by 1 all my wounded were in a comfortable house being carefully tended, by 5 p.m. next day the hospital train conveyed the less severe cases to Orange River, the graver cases to Cape Town. This is the most perfect work I have ever heard of in war, and reflects the highest credit on Colonel Townsend."

Dangerously wounded 7 March 1902 at Klipdrift, mentioned in dispatches. From Lieutenant General Lord Methuen's dispatch Klerksdorp, 13 March 1902:

"Colonel E Townsend, CB, my PMO, remained in the fighting line until he had received three wounds; he has, from the commencement of the campaign, always acted most gallantly."

(Battle of Tweebosch), Queen's medal with four clasps and King's medal with two clasps and C.M.G.

He left South Africa in SS Walmer Castle in April 1902, arriving at Southampton early the following month.[3]

External sources

Battle of Arogee Sydney Morning Herald 12 June 1868 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13167724

Perak Expedition http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/London_Gazette/Corresp:_Actions_of_Perak_Expeditionary_Force_post-murder_of_Birch http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/471964.html

Operations against King Sekhukhune http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/king-sekhukhune

Anglo-Boer War mentioned in dispatches http://www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/16-other-information/1843-mentions-in-despatches-army

A contemporary account of the Ashanti Expedition http://www.georgeclarkemusgrave.com/downloads/Kumassi-Chapter3.pdf[4]

The Ashanti Star http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/ashanti_star_1895_1896.htm

North-West Frontier. Tirah Campaign http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armycampaigns/indiancampaigns/samana.htm

North-West Frontier. Samana Pass http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armycampaigns/indiancampaigns/samana.htm

References

  1. ↑ "No. 27423". The London Gazette. 8 April 1902. p. 2338.
  2. ↑ "The Ashanti Expedition: The Health Prospects of the Expedition". Br Med J. 2: 1580. 1895. PMC 2509090 Freely accessible. PMID 20755901. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.1825.1580.
  3. ↑ "The War - officers returning home". The Times (36746). London. 19 April 1902. p. 12.
  4. ↑ "The Ashanti Expedition: The Health Prospects of the Expedition". Br Med J. 2: 1580. 1895. PMC 2509090 Freely accessible. PMID 20755901. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.1825.1580.

1 April 1893 becomes brigade-surgeon-lieutenant-colonel London Gazette 25 April 1893 http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26395/pages/2421/page.pdf

May 1898 made a C.B. Companion of the Order of the Bath London Gazette, 20 May 1898 http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26968/pages/3166/page.pdf

April 1901 becomes C.M.G., Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George British Medical Journal 27 April 1901[1]

24 June 1904 made K.C.B. Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/11632/pages/694/page.pdf http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27688/supplements/4007/page.pdf

October 1902 appointment as Principal Medical Officer Netley Hospital New Zealand Herald 11 October 1902 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZH19021011.2.70.46

Obituary in The British Medical Journal 27 January 1917, London.[2]

Obituary in Sydney Morning Herald 3 Mar 1917 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19170303&id=gwhiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=57ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3341,4908495

Boer War Casualties 1899-1902. The Naval and Military Press Ltd. www.military-genealogy.com accessed 14 August 2013.

Mentioned in dispatches quotes, Boer War 1899 & 1902. http://www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/16-other-information/1843-mentions-in-despatches-army accessed 14 August 2013.

  1. ↑ "Royal Navy and Army Medical Services". British Medical Journal. 1 (2104): 1056–1059. PMC 2400885 Freely accessible. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.2104.1056-d.
  2. ↑ "Surgeon-General Sir Edmond Townsend, K.C.B". British Medical Journal. 1 (2926): 142–143. PMC 2347770 Freely accessible. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.2926.142-e.
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