Campbell Begg

Campbell Begg
MC
Born(1886-04-11)11 April 1886
Dunedin, New Zealand
Died26 July 1971(1971-07-26) (aged 85)
Johannesburg, South Africa
OccupationsPolitician, activist
Years active1933–1935
OrganizationNew Zealand Legion
Known forLeadership of the New Zealand Legion

Robert Campbell Begg MC (11 April 1886 – 26 July 1971) was a New Zealand medical doctor and politician who served as the president of the conservative New Zealand Legion from 1933 until 1934–35. Born in New Zealand and educated in Scotland, Begg then served in World War I. He returned to New Zealand after completing his education, going on to serve in the leadership of the New Zealand Legion in the years before its dissolution. He also wrote a series of medical textbooks.

Biography

Early life and military service

He was born in Dunedin on 11 April 1886.[1] He first studied theology and then studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying MB ChB. After serving as a medical officer during World War I, for which he was awarded the Military Cross. His service included treating Indian soldiers in Flanders and Egyptian soldiers during the Gallipoli campaign.[2] He then returned to Edinburgh, gaining an MD in 1923.[3]

New Zealand Legion

Begg was the president of the New Zealand Legion from 1933 until 1935. In 1935, Begg was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[4] During his tenure as President of the Legion, Begg was approached by the Nazis as a potential fascist political organization, but he rebuked the Nazis, allegedly calling their ideology 'absurd'.[5] In 1937, Begg moved with his family to South Africa.[6]

Later life

Begg died on 26 July 1971, in Johannesburg, South Africa; he was survived by his five children.[2]

Bibliography

  • The Secret of the Knife: A Surgeon's Story (1965)
  • Surgery on Trestles: A Saga of Suffering and Triumph (1967) ISBN 9780853063407
  • Amazon to Cape Horn on a Shoestring (1969) ISBN 9780853061649

References

  1. ^ Goldstone, Paul. "Robert Campbell Begg". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Begg, Robert Campbell | Dictionary of New Zealand Biography | Te Ara". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  3. ^ Begg, Robert Campbell (1923). "The urachus". MD Thesis. hdl:1842/26292.
  4. ^ "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. ^ Pugh, Michael (April 1971). "The New Zealand Legion (1932–1935)". New Zealand Journal of History. 5 (1): 49–69.
  6. ^ Palenski, Ron (29 July 2017). "A family at war". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 22 October 2025.


allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Campbell_Begg