NEVILLE HOWSE

Born: 26 October 1863, Somerset, England Died: 19 September 1930, London, England Rank: Captain Unit: NSW Army Medical Corps Campaign: Boer War

A DOCTOR ON HORSEBACK, Howse was both an accomplished surgeon and horseman. During action in the Boer War at Vredefort, South Africa, on 24 July 1900, he saw a bugler fall after being shot. Howse jumped onto a horse and raced towards the wounded man. When his steed was killed under him during heavy fire, he crawled on his stomach until he reached the stricken bugler. He tended to the man’s wounds, pulled him to safety and operated on his bladder, saving his life. Howse was the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross.