Orders, Decorations & Medals British Groups

Lot 3756    Session 13 (2.30pm Thu 27th March)    Orders, Decorations & Medals British Groups

Estimate $2,750
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $3,000

TRIO WITH SCARCE 1914 STAR TO AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER HOSPITAL: 1914 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19. F.Fehrsen, Aust:Vol:Hosp: on first medal, Surg. Lt. F.O.Fihrsen. R.N. on last two medals. All medals impressed. Very fine - good very fine.

Together with Municipal Employees War Service Association 11 Nov 1919 medal (illustrated), uniface, in enamel and silver (38.5mm) with suspension and blue neck ribbon, obverse impressed, '1936/Fehrsen Dr. E.O.' Note the name on the various medals is in three different forms, namely Fehrsen (correct), Fihrsen and finally E.O instead of F.O.

Most volunteers to the Australian Volunteer Hospital which was raised in England were not Australians but rather from British or other Commonwealth countries.

Dr Frederick Oloff Fehrsen, born at Middelburg, Eastern Cape, South Africa, into a family of medical practitioners was raised at Somerset East where he attended Gill College. He then advanced to Stellenbosch University for a year and lived with his uncle, Professor John Marais. In 1911 he went to London to undertake his medical training at London Hospital.

When war broke out in 1914 he interrupted his training when he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as an NCO and volunteered for service with the Australian Volunteer Hospital. After two years he returned to London Hospital to complete his training and qualified as M.R.C.S (Eng.), L.R.C.P. (Lond.) in 1916. After completing the required resident appointments he then joined the Royal Navy as Surgeon-Lieutenant. He served on the South Atlantic Patrol for the remainder of the war and returned to South Africa in 1919.

He was appointed Port Health Officer in Cape Town and soon after was in general practice at Beaufort West until 1925. He then returned to Cape Town as Port Health Officer and from then on devoted his life to public medical service. He qualified for a Diploma of Public Health at Cape Town University and was appointed to the position of District Surgeon, Cape Town for three years. He was then appointed Assistant Health Officer for the Union, holding this position at Pretoria for about a year after which he resumed his former post of District Surgeon, Cape Town. During the period of this appointment he was Lecturer in Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Cape Town. In 1931 he was appointed Assistant M.O.H. for the City of Cape Town, succeeding as M.O.H. in 1944, a position he held until his retirement in 1952. For the eight year period that he was M.O.H. he also held the part-time position of Professor of Public Health at the University of Cape Town and after his retirement was appointed Emeritus Professor.

Dr Fehrsen distinguished himself in epidemiological research. Two important areas of public health work that he was able to have implemented during his tenure were the introduction into Cape Town of compulsory pasteurization of the public milk supply and the establishment of the Central Dental Clinic where under-privileged persons of any race, sex or age could receive dental services free or within their means. After retiring from municipal service, Dr Fehrsen worked successfully for a number of years on the medical staff of the Valkenberg Mental Hospital, Cape Town right up until he became seriously ill. He was an active member of the Medical Association of South Africa and also a keen sportsman in rugby, cricket, golf and athletics in which he distinguished himself.

Dr Fehrsen died on 24 June 1958 at Rondebosch and Mowbray Cottage Hospital, Rosebank, Cape, after a short illness. His funeral service was conducted at St Saviour's, Claremont and at the Crematorium, Maitland.

With research.