Harold Fawcus

Lieutenant-General Sir Harold Ben Fawcus (20 May 1876 – 24 October 1947) was a British Army officer and an English first-class cricketer. After studying medicine at Durham University, Fawcus was commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps. He would serve with the corps from 1900 to 1934, serving in the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War, for which he was highly decorated. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant-general. During his time in the military, he played first-class cricket in South Africa for Orange Free State and in England for the British Army cricket team. In retirement he served as the director-general of the British Red Cross.

Early life and military career The son of John Fawcus, he was born at South Charlton in Northumberland. He was educated at Durham College, before studying medicine at the Durham University College of Medicine. After completing his studies at Durham, Fawcus was commissioned into the British Army as a lieutenant with the Royal Army Medical Corps in May 1900. He served in the Second Boer War, taking part in operations in Natal, Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal Colony. and obtained a diploma in public health in 1905. At his examination for promotion to major in 1907 he obtained a first-class certificate enabling him to year's acceleration of promotion, something only two other officers in the British Army had achieved to that point. Fawcus appeared for Orange Free State on five more occasions during the competition, while taking 33 wickets with his right-arm medium pace, with his 33 wickets costing 12.72 apiece. His best figures were 7 for 19 and he twice took a five wicket haul and ten wickets in a match. He was promoted to the rank of major in May 1911, He was appointed to the position of deputy assistant professor of hygiene at the Royal Army Medical College, a role he undertook from 1912 to 1914. He was appointed to the Army School of Sanitation at Aldershot Garrison prior to the First World War. He was made a member of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1915 Birthday Honours. He was made a temporary colonel in April 1917. He awarded the Croix de guerre by France in June 1917. Throughout the course of the war, Fawcus was mentioned in dispatches six times. and in the same year he served in the Third Anglo-Afghan War. He was promoted to the full rank of colonel in June 1926, with appointment in the same month as a deputy director-general at the War Office. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in October 1926. He was knighted in the 1928 Birthday Honours. He was appointed as the director-general of Army Medical Services in September 1929, He was made a member of the Order of the Bath in the 1931 New Year Honours. Fawcus was presented with an honorary degree in civil law by Durham University in 1930. He served as the director-general of Army Medical Services until his retirement from active service in March 1934. Following his retirement he was replaced as the personal physician for George V by J. W. L. Scott. While serving as director-general, he won the General's Cup in golf at Sandwich in 1931. a ceremonial role he would hold until he relinquished it in August 1941 on account of ill health. He died at the age of 71 at Hillingdon in October 1947, with his funeral service carried out in the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks.