Surgeon-General Sir Edmond Townsend (22 April 1845 – 2 January 1917) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

medical officer in the British Army. 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. 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 in the Order of the Bath 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 Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

the fifth of 13 children of surgeon William C. Townsend of Cork. Following his father into medicine, he took degrees of M.A., M.D. and M.Ch. at

Queen's University of Ireland The Queen's University of Ireland was established formally by Royal Charter on 3 September 1850, as the degree-awarding university of the ''Queen's Colleges'' of Belfast, Cork, and Galway that were established in 1845 "to afford a university e ...

Career

Townsend joined the British army as an assistant surgeon on 1 April 1867. He was appointed surgeon on 1 March 1873, surgeon major on 1 April 1879, brigade-surgeon-lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1893 and surgeon-general in the Army Medical Service on 25 September 1901. In May 1898 made a Companion of the Order of the Bath, and in April 1901 he was made a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. In October 1902 he was appointed principal medical officer of Netley Military Hospital. He was appointed KCB on 24 June 1904. and on 22 April 1905 he retired from service.

Military Record

Abyssinia 1867-68 Battle of Arogee, received

Abyssinian War medal The Abyssinian War Medal was awarded for service between 4 October 1867 and 19 April 1868 to those who participated in the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia. This punitive expedition, led by Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Napier, was carried out by th ...

Perak expedition The Perak War (1875–76) took place between British and local forces in Perak, a state in northwestern Malaysia. The sultan of Upper Perak and other local chiefs attempted to end foreign influence in the region and remove the British adminis ...

in the Malay peninsula 1875-76, severely wounded. Medal with Perak clasp. This was also the first time the

British Indian army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

Gurkha Regiment was employed outside India. 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 The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi (Zulu:''oNdini'') on 4 July 1879 and was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British army broke the military power of the Zulu nation by defeating the main Zulu army ...

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 The Battle of Tel El Kebir (often spelled Tel-El-Kebir) was fought on 13 September 1882 at Tell El Kebir in Egypt, 110 km north-north-east of Cairo. An entrenched Egyptian force under the command of Ahmed ʻUrabi was defeated by a British ...

, Egyptian War medal with clasp and

Khedive's bronze star The Khedive's Star was a campaign medal established by Khedive Tewfik Pasha to reward those who had participated in the military campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan between 1882 and 1891. This included British forces who served during the 1882 Anglo- ...

. Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885-1886. India General Service Medal with clasp. The Ashanti Expedition also known as the Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War 1895-96. Mentioned in dispatches,

Ashanti Star The Ashanti Star was created in 1896 for the members of the expedition against the Ashanti King Prempeh, in the Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War

. North-West Frontier 1897-98. Served under Sir William Lockheart as principal medical officer (P.M.O.) in the

first Mohmand campaign First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...

, 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 in April 1902, arriving at Southampton early the following month.

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Edmond Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George 1845 births 1917 deaths