Australian Military Units

Major General Neville Reginald Howse, VC, KCB, KCMG

Date of birth  1863-10-26  Stogursey, Somerset, United Kingdom. 
Other  1889  Howse came to Australia from the United Kingdom, where he had trained as a doctor. He set up a medical practice at Newcastle and later moved to Taree, NSW. 
Other  1895  Returned to England to undertake postgraduate work. 
Date returned to Australia  1897  Howse came back to Australia to practice medicine in Orange, NSW. 
Date commissioned  1900-01  Comissioned as a lieutenant in the 2nd Contingent of the New South Wales Medical Corps. 
Other  1900-02  Arrived in South Africa with the 2nd Contingent of the NSW Medical Corps. 
Date of honour or award  1900-07-24  Awarded Victoria Cross for rescuing a wounded trumpeter under heavy fire at Vredefort, Orange Free State. In addition to the Victoria Cross, Howse recieved Mention in Despatches for outstanding services. Shortly after this, he was taken prisoner by the Boers while treating another officer under fire, but was released six weeks later as a noncombatant. 
Date promoted  1900-10  Promoted to captain. 
Date returned to Australia  1901-01   
Other  1902-02  Departed for South Africa as an honorary major with the Australian Medical Corps. 
Other  1914-08  Appointed principle medical officer of the Australian Navy and Military Expeditionary Force to German New Guinea. 
Date promoted  1914-12  Promoted to colonel and appointed assistant director medical services 1st Australian Division. 
Date of honour or award  1915-01-24  Companion of the Order of the Bath. 
Other  1915-04-25  Landed at Gallipoli with the first convoy of the AIF. 
Date of honour or award  1915-08  Mention in Despatches. 
Other  1915-09-11  Given command of ANZAC medical services. 
Other  1915-11  Appointed director of the AIF's medical services with the temporary rank of surgeon general. Howse was later based at AIF Headquarters in London where he undertook three tours of duty in France in connection with the Medical Corps. 
Date of honour or award  1917-01-24  Created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. 
Date returned to Australia  1918-10   
Other  1919  Returned to AIF Headquarters in London to supervise medical aspects of the large scale repatriation program directed by General Monash. Appointment ended on 1st January 1920. 
Date of honour or award  1919-06-03  Gazetted Knight of St John of Jerusalem. 
Date of honour or award  1919-07-09  Was gazetted a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. 
Other  1922  Entered the Commonwealth Parliament as Member for Calare, NSW, in the House of Representatives. 
Other  1923-09  Was part of the Australian Delegation to the Fourth Assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva. 
Other  1925-01-16 - 1927-04-02  Government Minister for the portfolios of Defence and Health. 
Other  1928-02-24 - 1929-10-29  Minister for Health. 
Other  1929-10  Lost his seat in the House of Representatives in the general elections. 
Other  1930-02  Returned to England. 
Date of death  1930-09-19  Died of cancer in London following an operation.