HUTCHENS, Harold John
Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
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Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
Last Rank: | Captain |
Last Unit: | 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen |
Born: | England, United Kingdom, date not yet discovered |
Home Town: | Morningside, Brisbane, Queensland |
Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
Occupation: | Doctor |
Memorials: |
Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey
Harold John Hutchens was born in England and trained there to become a medical doctor. He came to Brisbane to be a Medical Officer appointed by the Epedemic Joint Board in Brisbane to deal with a plague outbreak in 1900. He became Medical Suoerintendant at the newly established Plague Hospital at Colmslie in Brisbane.
In 1901 he enlisted with the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen for service as a Captain/Medical Officer in the South African (Boer) War. Newspaper reports have him remaining in South Africa for further service when the remainder of the 5th returned to Australia. He was awarded a D.S.O. in 1902 for his service. Its unclear whether he returned to Australia or to England following completion of his service in South Africa.
(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 492; various newspaper articles in links on this profile).