BWM. Captain Coetzee. RAMC. Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

Correctly named Capt CHH Coetzee

Born Cornelious Hermanus Herbertus Coetzee in Oudtshoorn, South Africa 1890. He left Durban bound for the UK in 1913 aboard the Kildonan Castle. He married Catherine Geard Cochrane. He entered service as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Artillery and later transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps.

CORNELIUS HERMANUS HUBERTUS COETZEE,
M.B., Ch.B. (Edin.)

Dr Coetzee died in Duiwelskloof Hospital on 7 March 1970 after a long illness.
He was born at Oudtshoorn in 1890, and was educated at George until the family went to farm at Smithfield OFS.
Having matriculated at Smithfield, he entered the Grey University College, Bloemfontein, studying there until he was accepted as a medical student at the University of Edinburgh.
At the outbreak of World War I he joined the Heavy Artillery. Before his overseas assignment it was discovered that he was a medical student within 6 months of qualifying and on account of the demand for qualified doctors he was instructed to return to college and qualify. He then served as a Captain in the RAMC.
A year later he was discharged for medical reasons. He returned to South Africa and started practice at Edenburg, OFS~ holding the appointments of District Surgeon, Railway Medical Officer and Medical Officer of Health. In 1936 he transferred to Pretoria as Railway Medical Officer. During World War II he was second in command at Voortrekker Military Hospital under Colonel Robertson. Later he was recalled to railway medical service but he continued his war effort by organizing the Civilian Protective Services, Pretoria.
Dr Coetzee was Chairman of the South African Blood Transfusion Service in Pretoria for many years.
After the war he specialized in anesthetics, and he was anesthetist to the railways until his retirement in 1956. He continued in private practice until the end of February 1967-50 years of service to mankind.
In 1968 he was honored by the Medical Association of South Africa by election to Life Membership.
He leaves a widow and two daughters.

The medal has an original silk ribbon. Worthy of further research.