Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Sir Fred Thompson Bowerbank (30 April 1880 – 25 August 1960) was Director-General of Medical Services for the New Zealand Army and Air Force between 1939 and 1947.Obituary in the ''

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origi ...

'', September 24, 1960, p.952 He served as Honorary Physician to the Governor-General of New Zealand from 1935 to 1939, and as Honorary Physician to King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

between 1940 and 1948. Bowerbank was made KBE in 1946,https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37417/page/203/data.pdf ''

The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'' is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are ...

'', TUESDAY 1 JANUARY, Issue 37417, p. 203 and in the same year a Grand Officer in the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

for his service to the Netherlands during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. For his services to first-aid organizations, he was made a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Life

Fred Thompson Bowerbank was born in Penrith,

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

, the son of Joseph Bowerbank and his wife Mary (née Farrer). He was educated at Penrith High School and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

where he graduated M.B. and Ch.B. in 1904. In 1907 he emigrated to New Zealand with his young wife. At the outbreak of

World War I 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 ...

, Bowerbank enlisted in the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

. He served in the 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was mentioned five times in dispatches and, for his dedication to service, was made OBE in 1917. For most of his professional life, Bowerbank was consulting cardiologist to the

Wellington Hospital, New Zealand Wellington Hospital, also known as Wellington Regional Hospital, is the main hospital in Wellington, New Zealand, located south of the city centre in the suburb of Newtown. It is the main hospital run by Capital & Coast District Health Board ( ...

. Bowerbank gained an MD from the

in 1917, with a thesis on intestinal disease in the New Zealand expeditionary force in Egypt and the Dardanelles. He was elected a Member of the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

in 1925 and a Fellow in 1929. In 1935, he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

. He served as Honorary Physician to the Governor-General of New Zealand from 1935 to 1939, and as Honorary Physician to King

between 1940 and 1948. Bowerbank was Chief Medical Officer of the

RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

from 1937 to 1939 and served as Director-General of Medical Services for the New Zealand Army and Air Force between 1939 and 1947. Bowerbank was made KBE in 1946, and in the same year a Grand Officer in the

for his service to the Netherlands during

. For his services to first-aid organizations, he was made a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1953, he was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded a ...

. Bowerbank married Maud Pick in 1907. He died in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, New Zealand, on 25 August 1960. He was the great uncle of Christopher Bowerbank.

Publication

*''A Doctor's Story'', by Sir Fred Bowerbank. Published by Harry H. Tombs Limited, The Wingfield Press,

, 1958

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowerbank, Fred Thompson 1880 births 1960 deaths Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau New Zealand cardiologists English emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand military personnel New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from Penrith, Cumbria New Zealand medical administrators