Donald Johnstone McGavin
Born 19 Aug 1876 - Died 8 May 1960
- Service number
- WWI 3/604 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Inter War Major General/Military AWMM New Zealand Army, Director of Medical Services AWMM
- War
About
- Title
- CMGPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Military Record
- Forenames
- Donald Johnstone AWMM
- Surname
- McGavin AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 3/604 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- Church of EnglandPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Military Record
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 19 Aug 1876 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- son of John & Jessie McGavin of Tokomaru Bay, GisbornePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Poverty Bay Herald report 3 Nov 1915 page 3 - refer document Torpedoed Transport
- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Pre 19 Apr 1915 AWMM Upper Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW1 Mrs Mary McGavin (wife), 200 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 21 May 1915 AWMM Married/WWI AWMM
- 27 August 1903 married Mary Allan Chapple in Wellington
father of 1 son - Donald Burns McGavinPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3m8/mcgavin-donald-johnstone & BMD NZ Records
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
- 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- 1918 AWMM Le Quesnoy AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 3/604 AWMM
- Military service
- Joined NZ Medical Corps in 1902 AWMM
- Served as a surgeon captain with the Union Rifle Volunteers before transferring to 5 Company, NZ Field Hospital and Bearer Corps in 1906 AWMM
- Medical Services, NZ Division AWMM
- Medical Services, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, UK AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Knight Bachelor AWMM
Knighted for services to medicine in 1921 AWMM - Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) AWMM
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO citation: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while acting as ADMS to his division. The successful evacuation of the wounded during our heavy offensive was due to the thoroughness of his preparations and his personal attention to the smallest details. He went into the advanced area at great personal risk to encourage the stretcher bearers and superintended the removal of casualties, setting a splendid example to all ranks." (London Gazette, 16 August 1917) AWMM - Commander of the Order of St John (CStJ) AWMM
- Queen's South Africa Medal AWMM
- 1914-1915 Star AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal with oak leaf AWMM
- King George V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935 AWMM
- Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration AWMM
- Volunteer Officer's Decoration (VD) AWMM
- New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal AWMM
- New Zealand Territorial Service Medal AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) Four Times AWMM
London Gazette 6 December 1916, p11941, Rec No 572 | London Gazette 1 June 1917, p54 | London Gazette 28 December 1917, p13576 | London Gazette 31 December 1918, p15231 AWMM
- Knight Bachelor AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 19 Apr 1915 AWMM
Age 38 AWMM
Medical practitioner AWMM - Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 Marama 21 May 1915 AWMM Vessel was HMHS Marama AWMM Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM New Zealand Medical Corps AWMM No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital, France AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- —
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Inter War 1 Feb 1920 AWMM Major General/Military AWMM
New Zealand Army, Director of Medical Services AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Donald McGavin was the son of John McGavin and Jessie Burns
Qualified as LCRP in 1899, MB in 1900, and MD in 1901
Served as a civilian surgeon during Anglo-Boer War in South Africa before joining the RAMC in Natal
McGavin married Mary Allan Chapple on 27 August 1903 and had one son
Commanding Officer (CO) of No. 1 NZ Stationary Hospital from 19 April 1915
Assistant Director of Medical Services (ADMS) for NZ Division, October 1916
Promoted to Colonel on 29 June 1917
Appointed Temporary Director of Medical Services (DMS) for NZEF in the UK
Promoted to Brigadier and served as Director General of Medical Services (DGMS), 1919-23
Appointed Honorary Surgeon to the Governor-General, 1920-24
Promoted to Major General in 1923
Put on Reserve of Officers list in 1924
Served as Medical advisor to Manpower Board, 1939-45
Ship name "Marama" from The Evening Post, May 23, 1915 listing the nurses and officers on the passenger list. Transfer to Moldavia. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 8 May 1960 AWMM
Age 83 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- —
- Cemetery name
- Crematorium in WellingtonPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Wellington Cemetery Records
- Grave reference
- Record No. 19353Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Wellington Cemetery Records
- Obituary
- British Medical Journal, 21 May 1960, p1576
New Zealand Medical Journal v59 n335 (July 1960), pp348-349
Evening Post, 9 May 1960, p12 AWMM - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3m8/mcgavin-donald-johnstonePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3m8/mcgavin-donald-johnstone
- British Medical Journal, 21 May 1960, p1576
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R10924151
Further Reference - New Zealand History online. New Zealand in the South (Boer) War
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/south-african-boer-war/introduction
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5294611
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 447 - British Medical Journal
21 May 1960, p1576 - The Evening Post
9 May 1960, p12 - New Zealand Medical Journal
v59 n335 (July 1960), pp348-349 - Unknown photographer. (1914 - 1918) [Battles at Ypres and Messines]. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tamaki Paenga Hira. PH-ALB-195.
- Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait - Stowers, R. (2009). Rough riders at war : history of New Zealand's involvement in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 and information on all members of the 10 New Zealand contingents. Hamilton, N.Z.: R. Stowers.
- Pat Clarkson Medical Practitioner Research Project (January 2014 - March 2022). This project identified Medical Practioners who served in WWI.
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- The Le Quesnoy Campaign research was undertaken by the New Zealand Society of Genealogists as part of the development of New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata (Le Quesnoy France). This research project was led by CJ Barbour (NZSG), BI Silvester, HH Farrant (NZMHS) with the support of NZSG volunteers (2022). The individuals included in this research dataset were identified as potentially having served in or around the wider Le Quesnoy campaign. Their presence at Le Quesnoy has not been individually verified in every case.
- Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Carbery, A.R.D. (1924). The New Zealand Medical Service in the Great War, 1914-1918 : based on official documents. Auckland: Whitcombe & Tombs.
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