John Meredith
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Dr. John Baldwin Hoystead Meredith DSO
(11 November 1864 - 1 January 1942) was a doctor and Australian Army
Brigadier General
who served in World War I
.
, the seventh child of William Meredith, a landowner, and his wife Annie, née Hoystead. He was educated at Arlington College
, Port Arlington. Unable to afford an army commission, he studied medicine in Dublin from 1882 to 1887 under auspices of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
. In 1888 he qualified as a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians, Edinburgh
, and of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons
, Glasgow
. Meredith decided to try for a passage to one of the colonies as a ship's doctor. He immigrated to Australia
in 1888, where he bought a practice at Raymond Terrace, New South Wales
. His fiancée, Harriett Eveline Waters of Kildare, arrived two years later, and they were married on the day she landed, 20 May 1890, in St Philip's Anglican Church, Sydney
. They had three children.
Meredith became a government medical officer and joined the Hunter River Light Horse. In 1899 he volunteered for South Africa
, serving as a medical officer in the Citizen's Bushmen's Contingent. In 1905 as a second lieutenant, Meredith formed a troop of light horse at Raymond Terrance which became part of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. He was promoted to captain in 1906 and major in 1908. In 1908 he took his family to England
and Ireland
where he was attached to the 18th Hussars in Ireland for training. In 1910 after returning to Australia, he took command of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of the 6th Light Horse Regiment in 1912. On 4 September 1914 his daughter Marjorie married (then) Captain (later Lieutenant General Sir) Iven Mackay.
as commander of the 1st Light Horse Regiment as a lieutenant colonel. He served with the regiment at Gallipoli
from 22 August 1915 until the evacuation. From 6 to 29 December 1915 he was acting commander of the 1st Light Horse Brigade.
The 1st Light Horse regiment arrived back in Alexandria
on 27 December 1915 and on 14 January 1916 was ordered to join the Western Frontier Force, defending the Sudan
against the Senussi
. On 5 May, Meredith once again took over command of the 1st Light Horse Brigade
when Brigadier General C Cox
went to England on sick leave, holding the rank of colonel while in command of the brigade. Meredith commanded the 1st Light Horse Brigade at the Battle of Romani
in early August 1916, when his men fought off a series of Turkish
attacks. He relinquished command the brigade on 26 August 1916 and reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. For his role in this battle, Meredith was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) and, in February 1917, the Order of the White Eagle (Serbia).
On 2 September 1916, Meredith departed for Australia on a three months furlough, arriving in late September. He left Australia for Egypt again on 9 December 1916, sailing from Melbourne and arriving back at Suez
on 19 January 1917. On 13 February 1917, Meredith took over the newly reformed 4th Light Horse Brigade
. He was made a temporary brigadier general and was then promoted to full colonel on 1 May 1917. He led his brigade at the Second Battle of Gaza
in April 1917 but on the eve of the Battle of Beersheba in October 1917, he was forced to return to Australia
for family reasons. He boarded the transport on 12 November 1917 and arrived back in Australia on 20 December 1917, where his appointment to the AIF was terminated on 3 January 1918. For his command of the 4th Light Horse Brigade he was mentioned in dispatches.
He created a successful and popular medical practice, and developed a Jersey stud. (He became vice-president of the Jersey Herd Society of New South Wales.) After his wife's death, he married 20-year-old Alice Christina Mowbray Windeyer on 19 October 1921, at St John's Anglican Church, Raymond Terrace. Meredith died at Maitland on 1 January 1942 and was cremated. He was survived by a son and two daughters of his first marriage, and by his wife and four young sons.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Dr. John Baldwin Hoystead Meredith DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(11 November 1864 - 1 January 1942) was a doctor and Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
who served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Early life and career
John Meredith was born on 11 November 1864 in Derrylough, Queen's County, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the seventh child of William Meredith, a landowner, and his wife Annie, née Hoystead. He was educated at Arlington College
Arlington College
Arlington College might refer to one of several academic institutions, including:* University of Texas at Arlington* Arlington College, a Christian school in California that merged into Azusa Pacific University...
, Port Arlington. Unable to afford an army commission, he studied medicine in Dublin from 1882 to 1887 under auspices of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...
. In 1888 he qualified as a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland.Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a royal charter by James VI in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, this institution originally existed as a regulatory authority to ensure that...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Meredith decided to try for a passage to one of the colonies as a ship's doctor. He immigrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1888, where he bought a practice at Raymond Terrace, New South Wales
Raymond Terrace, New South Wales
Raymond Terrace is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road north of Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Established in 1837 it is situated at the confluence of the Hunter and Williams rivers and has about 12,600 residents. It is the administrative centre of the Port...
. His fiancée, Harriett Eveline Waters of Kildare, arrived two years later, and they were married on the day she landed, 20 May 1890, in St Philip's Anglican Church, Sydney
St Philip's Church, Sydney
St Philip's Church, Sydney is the oldest Anglican church parish in Australia. The church is located in the Sydney CBD, between York Street, Clarence and Jamison Streets on a location known as Church Hill. St Philip's is part of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia...
. They had three children.
Meredith became a government medical officer and joined the Hunter River Light Horse. In 1899 he volunteered for South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, serving as a medical officer in the Citizen's Bushmen's Contingent. In 1905 as a second lieutenant, Meredith formed a troop of light horse at Raymond Terrance which became part of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. He was promoted to captain in 1906 and major in 1908. In 1908 he took his family to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
where he was attached to the 18th Hussars in Ireland for training. In 1910 after returning to Australia, he took command of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of the 6th Light Horse Regiment in 1912. On 4 September 1914 his daughter Marjorie married (then) Captain (later Lieutenant General Sir) Iven Mackay.
World War I
On 28 August 1914 Meredith joined the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
as commander of the 1st Light Horse Regiment as a lieutenant colonel. He served with the regiment at Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
from 22 August 1915 until the evacuation. From 6 to 29 December 1915 he was acting commander of the 1st Light Horse Brigade.
The 1st Light Horse regiment arrived back in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
on 27 December 1915 and on 14 January 1916 was ordered to join the Western Frontier Force, defending the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
against the Senussi
Senussi
The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political...
. On 5 May, Meredith once again took over command of the 1st Light Horse Brigade
1st Light Horse Brigade
The 1st Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
when Brigadier General C Cox
Charles Frederick Cox
Major General Charles Frederick Cox CB, CMG, DSO, VD was an Australian Army colonel and temporary brigadier general in World War I. He retired in 1930 as an honorary major general.-Early life and career:...
went to England on sick leave, holding the rank of colonel while in command of the brigade. Meredith commanded the 1st Light Horse Brigade at the Battle of Romani
Battle of Romani
The Battle of Romani was fought east of the Suez Canal, near the Egyptian town of Romani and the site of ancient Pelusium on the Sinai Peninsula during the First World War...
in early August 1916, when his men fought off a series of Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
attacks. He relinquished command the brigade on 26 August 1916 and reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. For his role in this battle, Meredith was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) and, in February 1917, the Order of the White Eagle (Serbia).
On 2 September 1916, Meredith departed for Australia on a three months furlough, arriving in late September. He left Australia for Egypt again on 9 December 1916, sailing from Melbourne and arriving back at Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
on 19 January 1917. On 13 February 1917, Meredith took over the newly reformed 4th Light Horse Brigade
4th Light Horse Brigade
The 4th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force serving in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was formed in March 1915 and shipped to Egypt without their horses and was broken up in Egypt in August 1915...
. He was made a temporary brigadier general and was then promoted to full colonel on 1 May 1917. He led his brigade at the Second Battle of Gaza
Second Battle of Gaza
The Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during the First World War, was another attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break Ottoman defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line...
in April 1917 but on the eve of the Battle of Beersheba in October 1917, he was forced to return to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for family reasons. He boarded the transport on 12 November 1917 and arrived back in Australia on 20 December 1917, where his appointment to the AIF was terminated on 3 January 1918. For his command of the 4th Light Horse Brigade he was mentioned in dispatches.
Post war
Meredith commanded the 2nd Cavalry Brigade from 1921 to 1923, when he retired as honorary brigadier general.He created a successful and popular medical practice, and developed a Jersey stud. (He became vice-president of the Jersey Herd Society of New South Wales.) After his wife's death, he married 20-year-old Alice Christina Mowbray Windeyer on 19 October 1921, at St John's Anglican Church, Raymond Terrace. Meredith died at Maitland on 1 January 1942 and was cremated. He was survived by a son and two daughters of his first marriage, and by his wife and four young sons.