Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Horatio Victor Patrick Conrick was born on 27th May 1882 at Fitzroy, Melbourne VIC, the eldest of 5 children of bank manager Michael and his wife Christina Conrick.  He had 1 sister, Myra, and 3 brothers…Rupert, Leslie and John.  He went by the name Victor and was educated at the Christian Brothers’ School at St Kilda.  After completing his schooling he initially worked as a bank clerk but then went on to study medicine at the University of Melbourne graduating MBBS in 1910.  He was a member of the Junior Cadets from 1895-1896 and a member of the Albert Park Rowing Club.  In March 1911 he took up a position as the Resident Medical Officer at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Brisbane QLD. 

On 2nd February 1914 he was commissioned Captain with the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) in the Citizen Forces and served with the 8th Infantry Regiment.  In July 1914 he became engaged to Mary (Mamie) Frances Punch and a few weeks later, aged 31, he was appointed to the Australian Imperial Force with the rank of Captain and assigned to the 3rd Field Ambulance.  He proceeded to the Military Camp at Enoggera before embarking from Brisbane on 25th September 1914 on HMAT Rangatira, part of the First Convoy, and sailed from Albany on 1st November 1914.  He arrived in Alexandria Egypt on 9th December and proceeded to Mena Camp just outside Cairo.  He remained there till late February when he, together with the 3rd Field Ambulance (3rd FA), embarked from Alexandria on HMAT Suffolk, anchoring in Mudros Bay off Lemnos Island a few days later. 

In preparation for the Gallipoli landings the 3rd FA transhipped to HMAT Ionian in early April and then back to the Suffolk on the 19th April.  Victor became ill with influenza and was sent back to Lemnos Island on 21st April so he missed going ashore with his Unit on the 25th April but did join the Unit at Anzac Cove on 28th April.  The soldier who was immortalised and became known as 'Simpson and his donkey” was one of Victor’s stretcher bearers.  Shortly before his death Victor wrote his personal recollections, with first-hand knowledge, of this brave and remarkable Australian soldier.  He wrote, “Simpson was a very game man and in fact, he laughed at danger.  At all times he was cheerful and a great favourite with his mates of the 3rd Field Ambulance.  On one occasion I passed him in Monash Gully and called out to him, 'Look out for yourself Simmy.'  His laughing reply came, ‘That bullet hasn't been made for me yet, sir’.  On 19th May 1915 Simpson was killed by a sniper’s bullet to the heart while transporting a wounded soldier on his donkey to the beach.  Victor wrote “We buried Simpson in the cemetery on Brighton Beach, close to ‘Hell-fire Corner,' a spot he had passed hundreds of times in his brave journeyings.'  Victor was the officiating Officer at the burial service of Simpson.

In July 1915 he was posted for temporary duty to the 6th Infantry Battalion as Medical Officer.  In August he and Captain Fry established an Advanced  Dressing Station (ADS) at Fullerton’s Post, hallway up Victoria Gully, and a few days later he took command of that station.  The Unit diary states that 88 patients passed through in a 12 hour period.  In September he was posted for duty to the 3rd FA beach Dressing Station and then had duty at the Field Hospital.  He was mentioned in Sir Ian Hamilton’s despatch on 11th December 1915 for his actions during the campaign in August then on the 13th December, when the evacuation commenced, he embarked from Gallipoli on HMHS Dunluce Castle for duty to Egypt. 

In late January 1916 Victor transferred for duty to the 2nd Australian General Hospital (2AGH) at Ghezirah Palace in Egypt and in early February was promoted to Major.  A month later he was detached for duty to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (3AAH) located at the Sporting Club at Heliopolis.  Three weeks later on 26th March Victor embarked from Alexandria on HMT Braemar Castle and disembarked at Marseilles France on the 4th April 1916.  In early June he took over duties of the Medical Officer in charge of Anzac Details in France.  A month later he was attached for duty to the Australian Voluntary Hospital near Boulogne.  Victor was mentioned in Sir Charles Munro despatch on the 10th April “For distinguished and gallant services rendered during the period of General Sir Charles Munro’s Command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.”

In August 1916 Victor was transferred to the 2nd Division and posted for duty to the 5th and 7th Field Ambulances.  A few days before Christmas Victor took leave to the UK and met up with his brother Rupert who was serving with the British Army in the 11th Battalion Tank Corps.  They hadn’t seen each other in 7 years.  This was to be a bittersweet reunion because just a few weeks before Victor was to be married he received the news that Rupert, aged 34, had been killed in action at Arras on 23rd August 1918. 

Victor was serving with the 7th Field Ambulance at Noreiul in May 1917 when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in attending the wounded.  He proceeded to the scene of an explosion under very heavy shell fire and personally directed the removal of the wounded.  His fearlessness and disregard for his personal safety has been marked on all occasions.”

From August to November 1917 Victor had temporary duty with the 2nd and 10th Casualty Clearing Stations, the 1st and 15th Field Ambulances and also with the 24th Battalion.  In December he was transferred to London and given the rank of temporary Lieutenant Colonel as Senior Medical Officer at the 2nd Command Depot at Weymouth.  He was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch on 7th November 1917 for deserving special mention.

In March 1918 Victor proceeded to France and upon arrival there was admitted to the 8th British Red Cross Hospital with an unnamed condition.  He was discharged on the 2nd April and took command of the 8th Field Ambulance the next day.  His rank was confirmed on 1st May 1918.  In mid-May he proceeded to the UK to report to the Director of Medical Services before embarking for Australia on 6th June on HMAT Barambah.  He served as the Medical Office on ship for the voyage home and was discharged on 31st August 1918 at Melbourne VIC.

On 12th September 1918, Victor married Mamie at St Mary's Catholic Church, North Sydney.  They settled at North Sydney NSW where Victor resumed medical practice and in 1928 they welcomed their first daughter, Mary, followed another daughter Anne in 1930. 

After the war Victor continued his service with the AAMC serving with the 17th Battalion, the North Sydney Regiment NSW.  On 14th March 1932 the Governor -General presented Victor with the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for long service with the Colonial Forces.  He kept up an active interest in the AAMC until 1943 when he was placed on the retired list with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Victor concentrated on children's medicine and was Honorary Physician at the Renwick Hospital for Infants at Summer Hill in Sydney from 1922 and was Honorary Consulting Surgeon there from 1957 until his death.  From the late 1940s he was Honorary Assistant Physician at the Mater Misericordiae General Hospital at Crows Nest NSW and for several years was New South Wales representative on the council of the British Medical Association.

Survived by his wife and two daughters, Victor died on 18th July 1960 and was buried in the Catholic section of Gore Hill cemetery.  Throughout his life his main hobbies were art collecting, music, tennis and swimming.  He was a tall, well-built man with a jovial manner and his gentleness and rapport with children were exceptional.

For service in WW1 Horatio Victor Patrick Conrick was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, 1914/1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal,  the Anzac Commemorative Medallion and was 3 times Mentioned in Despatches.     

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 11th June 2022.

Sources

https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/conrick-horatio-victor-patrick-5757

https://www.noble.com.au/site/docs/cats/sale_120/A13.pdf