Alexander Hammett Marks, (6 August 1880 – 18 January 1954) was an Australian physician and military officer. Serving during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Marks was mentioned twice in despatches, and awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

, the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

, and made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for his service.

Early life

Marks was born in Brisbane on 6 August 1880. He was the first son of Dr

Charles Ferdinand Marks Charles Ferdinand Marks (1852-1941) was a physician and politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council. Politics Charles Marks was appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council on 8 November 1888. A ...

, a surgeon and later member of the

Queensland Legislative Council The Queensland Legislative Council was the upper house of the parliament in the Australian state of Queensland. It was a fully nominated body which first took office on 1 May 1860. It was abolished by the Constitution Amendment Act 1921, which to ...

, and his wife Elizabeth (née Stodart). He was the elder brother of

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

(born 1882), and was educated at the

Brisbane Grammar School , motto_translation = Nothing Without Labour , established = 1868 , type = Independent, day & boarding , gender = Boys , denomination = Non-denominational , slogan = , key_people = , ci ...

. After completing secondary education, he travelled to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

where he studied medicine at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, graduating with an

M. D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

degree in 1905.

Medical career

Returning to Brisbane in 1904, Marks established a medical practice at

Wickham Terrace Wickham Terrace is one of the historic streets of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known as the street of private medical specialists. Geography Wickham Terrace commences at the western corner of the intersection of Ann Street and Whar ...

and began to practice medicine, with a particular focus on

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

and

gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...

. He also served on the council of the Queensland branch of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

, taking on the role of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the association in 1914.

Military service

Even before the outbreak of the

, Marks had had an association with the military, having been appointed as an honorary captain with the

Australian Army Medical Corps The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC) is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 through the amalgamation of medical units of the various Australian coloni ...

, and attached to the 2nd Brigade as a medical officer. With the outbreak of war, Marks enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and was posted to the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade as a regimental medical officer. He served with that unit through the Gallipoli Campaign from the initial landing through to the final evacuation. He was promoted to the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in September 1915. In 1916, Marks was transferred to the 4th Division and appointed as deputy assistant director of medical services. He served in that role until December of that year when he was promoted again, this time to

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

, and command of the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance. In March 1917, he was assigned to form and command the new 16th Australian Field Ambulance, which was attached to the 16th Brigade stationed in England. In October, he was sent back to France where he commanded the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station, serving in this capacity until September of the following year when he was promoted to the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and assistant director of Medical Services to the 1st Division.

Return to Australia

At the conclusion of the war, Marks returned to Australia and resumed his medical practice. He was the President of the Medical Defence Society of Queensland from 1931 to 1946, and held a number of positions including "honorary

radiologist Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiatio ...

" and "senior gynaecologist" at the Brisbane General Hospital. He also continued his military associations, continuing part-time service with the army as a deputy director of medical services. He died in January 1954 of heart disease at his home in Auchenflower, survived by his second wife and three children from his first marriage. His son, Charles Ferdinand Marks (1909-1979) also served in the Army.

Legacy

The

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

’s

Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History The Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History is a museum at the University of Queensland Mayne Medical School at 288 Herston Road, Herston, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Operated by volunteers and supported by the University of Que ...

is a collection of medical instruments and medical equipment, initiated by donations by Marks and Dr John Hardie (son of Sir David Hardie). It was established in 1950. It honours at least three generations of the Marks family, who made significant contributions to the Museum collection and Dr

Konrad Hirschfeld Franz Konrad Saddler Hirschfeld CBE (1904-1987) was an Australian medical practitioner and surgeon. He pioneered thoracic surgeries in Australia. He became a university academic, administrator and medical historian. Early life Franz Konrad Sa ...

(curator for 20 years and son of Eugen Hirschfeld).

Notes

References

* * * * *

External links

Marks Family Collection at the State Library of Queensland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Alexander 1880 births 1954 deaths Australian military doctors Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Gallipoli campaign People from Brisbane Military personnel from Brisbane