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Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Ivan Bede Jose was born in Ningpo, China, the eldest of three sons of George Herbert Jose, an English Anglican missionary, and his wife Clara Ellen, nee Sturt from South Australia. George took his family to England in 1899 where he studied in Oxford before relocating to Adelaide in 1903. Ivan was educated at the Queen's School in North Adelaide and then, from 1905-1910, St Peter’s College. At school he served in the cadets. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide and graduated in 1915.

Jose joined the AIF as a medical student on 27th November 1914 at the age of 21 and nine months.  He was 5'10" tall and weighed 154lbs, of fair complexion with brown eyes and ‘medium’ hair.  He was to join the second reinforcements of 1ASH and achieved the rank of acting Sergeant. He was discharged on 1st March 1915 to complete his medical studies which he did, re-joining the Army as a captain on 5th February 1916 when he was an inch taller and 4lbs lighter.  He embarked from Australia on 17th November 1916.  He was   posted initially to 2FdAmb and later served with distinction in 14FdAmb in France. He was Mentioned in Despatches for 'distinguished and gallant service and devotion to duty in the field' from 22nd February 1917 to 20th September 1917.  He was later decorated with a Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the period 25th September 1917 and 25th February 1918 near Polygon Wood, east of Ypres; ‘at great personal risk he supervised and insured splendid communication with the RAPs. To his coolness and organization despite extremely heavy shelling…..successful evacuation of the heavy casualties sustained during the operation’. He was promoted to major in 1918. He spent some time in hospital in February 1918 with enteritis. His appointment was terminated on 10th December 1918. He was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His younger brother Lieutenant Wilfred Oswald Jose of 50th Bn was killed in action in 1917. His surviving younger brother, Gilbert Edgar, who had also served as a soldier in WW1, graduated from medicine in 1924 and was later to die in Changi Jail, a prisoner of war of the Japanese. 

Jose married Imogen Mervyn (Jean) Hawkes at Christ Church, North Adelaide in May 1919 and subsequently travelled to England for postgraduate study in Surgery. He qualified FRCS (Eng) and FRCS (Edin) in 1922, MS (Adel) 1923 and FRACS in 1929. He was appointed a medical and surgical registrar at the Adelaide Hospital in 1923 and was described as an enthusiastic teacher.  At the Adelaide Hospital he was appointed honorary assistant surgeon from 1924 and honorary surgeon, with a particular interest in urological surgery, from 1930-1950. He was the foundation director of surgical studies from 1936 and by the age of 40 was the hospital's senior surgeon. He restructured surgical teaching and, at the University of Adelaide, was the Dean of Medicine in 1948. He had remained a member of the AAMC reserve from 1921 and in WW2 served at home in the RAAF with the rank of group captain. Jose was an RACS councillor from 1946-1948 and president 1955-57. He gave a great deal of his time to the Australian Red Cross in South Australia. He was SA branch president of the British Medical Association. He was knighted in 1963.  He was a member of the Adelaide Club and in addition to his many other activities developed a grazing property. Ivan Bede Jose died in 1969 at his North Adelaide home and was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. One of his sons followed his interest in urology.

Sources:

Hunter R:  "Jose Sir Ivan Bede (1893-1969)" ADB

Photo; Adelaide University Archives, Graduates 1915

National Archives

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=11545731

Additional Biography from 

Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2. 

Swain, Jelly, Verco, Summers. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2019. 

During WW2, Jose, was then living at 50 Brougham Place, North Adelaide, SA, was granted a commission in the RAAF with the temporary rank of squadron leader from 14th October 1940, promoted to temporary wing commander from 1st April 1942 and acting wing commander from 3rd October 1942. He served, in Adelaide, as a part-time surgeon consultant, with the RAAF. He remained with the Active Citizen Air Force until transferred to the RAAF General Reserve in 1951. His brother Gilbert Edgar Jose, who graduated MB BS (Adelaide) in 1924 was to die a prisoner of the Japanese in Changi.

Jose had continued his practice at 188 North Terrace, Adelaide, throughout the war and did so subsequently. Described as having a quiet, almost shy manner which masked an underlying resolution and determination which, usually by peaceful means, he gained his point and carried the day. Jose was Dean of the Adelaide Medical School in 1948. He was a RACS councillor from 1946 to 1948 and president from 1955 to 1957.  He was the president of the SA branch of the BMA in 1954 and knighted for service to medicine in 1963. He gave a great deal of his time to the Red Cross and was chairman of the South Australian branch of the Australian Red Cross Society from 1966 to 1968. He was a member of the Adelaide Club and, in addition to his many activities, developed a successful grazing property. Sir Ivan Bede Jose died in North Adelaide on the 23rd November 1969. His wife, daughter and two sons survived him. One of his sons followed his interest in urological surgery.

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD