John Dowse (British Army officer)

For the Australian fly-half rugby union player, see John Henry Dowse.

John Dowse
Born	(1891-11-11)11 November 1891
Died	16 August 1964(1964-08-16) (aged 72)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1949
Rank	Major General
Commands	Royal Army Medical College 11th General Hospital Louise Margaret Hospital Military Families Hospital Tidworth
Battles / wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross & Bar Mentioned in Despatches Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix (Greece)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) Monkstown () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1914 Ireland 3

Major General John Cecil Alexander Dowse, CB, CBE, MC & Bar (11 November 1891 – 16 August 1964) was an Irish-born British Army medical officer who served in the First and Second World Wars. He played rugby for Ireland in 1914.

Biography

Dowse was born at Glenageary, County Dublin, where his father was rector of St Paul's Church. In 1894 the family moved to Monkstown where Dowse later played rugby for Monkstown Football Club. He was educated at Trent College, Derbyshire, and Trinity College Dublin.

In 1914 Dowse played rugby for Ireland against France, Scotland and Wales. However, his rugby career was cut short by the outbreak of the First World War and he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps in August 1914. He served on the Western Front and in India, remained in the army after the war and served during the Second World War in France, North Africa, Italy and Egypt. He ended the war with the rank of acting major general (made substantive in November 1945). After the war he was Commandant and Director of Studies at the Royal Army Medical College from 1948 to 1949. He then retired and was colonel commandant of the RAMC (a ceremonial position) from 1950 to 1956.

Dowse was appointed a Commander of the Order of St John in 1947. The Greek government awarded him the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix in 1948.

References

• DOWSE, Major-General John Cecil Alexander, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014
• John Dowse at Scrum.com
• IRFU Profile
• Jones, Stephen (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. Headline. ISBN 0-7472-7850-4.

External links

• Portraits of John Cecil Alexander Dowse (1891-1964), Major-General at the National Portrait Gallery, London
• Generals of World War II