HOWSE, NEVILLE REGINALD,
Captain, was born at Stogursey, Somerset, on 26 October 1863, the second
surviving son of Alfred Howse, MECS (England), and of Lucy Elizabeth,
daughter of John Hugh Claudius Beresford Conroy, of Rosevale, Raheny. He
was educated at Fulland's School, Taunton; entered the London Hospital as a
student in 1882, and took his diploma of MRCS (England) and LRCP (London)
in 1886. He went to Australia in 1889, and practised at Taree, Manning
River, until 1895, when he returned to England, devoting himself to surgery
for a period of four years. He obtained his FRCS (England) in 1897. In
1899 he returned to Australia and settled at Orange, New South Wales. After
a few months he went to South Africa as Lieutenant in New South Wales Army
Medical Corps; promoted Captain; mentioned in Despatches 4 June, 1901;
received Queen's Medal with six clasps, and King's Medal with two clasps,
and was awarded the Victoria Cross [London Gazette, 4 June, 1900]: "Neville
Reginald Howse, Captain, New South Wales Medical Staff Corps. During the
action at Vredefort on the 24th July, 1900, Captain Howse went out under a
very heavy cross-fire, and picked up a wounded man and carried him to a
place of shelter. He was invalided to Australia, and in 1902 returned to
South Africa as Major in Command of the 1st Australian Commonwealth Bearer
Company. After the war he returned to Orange, and in 1905 married Evelyn,
eldest daughter of C de Vial Pilcher, of Newstead, Orange, and has two sons
and three daughters: Everil Marjorie; Neville Charles, born in 1909; Evelyn
Elizabeth; John Brooke, born in 1913; Alison Neville. When war broke out in
1914 he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel; appointed RMO of Australian Naval
and Military Expeditionary Force, embarking at Sydney on 10 August for
Rabaul. He returned from Rabaul in October 1914, and sailed with the first
Expeditionary Force. Appointed ADMS 28 December 1914, and promoted
Colonel. Landed in Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915; appointed DDMS, ANZAC, on
11 September 1915; mentioned in Despatches; created a CB 5 August 1915.
After evacuation proceeded to Egypt; promoted Surgeon-General in December
1915, and appointed to DMS, AIF. After organizing the AAMC in Egypt,
he was attached to Headquarters, AIF, London. He became a KCB in January
1917, and KCMG in June, 1919.
