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Published Biographies

“Blood, Sweat and Fears” ISBN: 978-0-64692-750-3
MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND MEDICAL STUDENTS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR 1 Verco, Summers, Swain and Jelly 2014.

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14, (MUP), 1996 by Ronald Hunter
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jose-sir-ivan-bede-10646

Additional Biography

Birth

Ivan Bede Jose was born on 13 February 1893 at Ningpo, China, eldest of three sons of George Herbert Jose, and his wife Clara Ellen, née Sturt, from South Australia.

Ivan's father, George, came to Australia in 1888 from Gloucestershire, England, he married Clara Ellen Sturt (d.1925) in 1890 and went with her to China as a lay missionary the following year. All three of the couple’s children were born in China. The family left China in 1899 after George was awarded the Davis Chinese Scholarship at Oxford for 1900. In 1903 George then brought the family to Adelaide where he had charge of several churches until in 1906 when he was appointed Rector of Christ Church, North Adelaide, where he remained until 1933. He was appointed a Canon of Adelaide in 1918 and Archdeacon of Adelaide in 1929. He resigned the incumbency of Christ Church to become Dean of Adelaide until his retirement in 1953.

Ivan's siblings were Wilfred Oswald Jose (b 25th March 1895) and Gilbert Edger (b 1st November 1898).

Schooling

Ivan initially attended Queen's School, Barton Terrace, North Adelaide from 1903 - 1906 along with younger brother Wilfred before enrolling at St Peter’s College.

He then went to St Peter’s College (1906-1910) where he passed his Primary (1906), Junior (1907), Senior (1908) and Higher (1909 & 1910) Public Examinations. While are St Peter’s, Ivan played Intercollegiate Cricket (1910), SACA B grade cricket (1909-10) and Intercollegiate Football (1910).

University

Ivan commenced studying medicine at Adelaide University in 1911. He was conferred with his MB BS in October 1915 after passing his fifth year (First Class) and finishing second to Patrick Rice who was awarded the Everard Scholarship.

University Sport

Cricket

Ivan joined the Adelaide University Cricket Club (playing in the B Grade) in early 1911 and played in the team which lost the B grade Premiership to East Torrens in late April. He was a medium pace bowler and when the shine was gone, reverted to spin. He was also a handy middle to lower order batsman. By the 1911/12 season he was promoted for a few games in the A Grade team and in April 1912 he played in a SACA trial match made up of the States promising young players.

In the years to following, he became a regular A grade player and at the end of the 1914/15 season Ivan headed the A Grade bowling averages taking 24 wickets off just 68 Overs at the outstanding average of 10.1 runs per wicket. Unfortunately, the SACA Trophy went to State and former Australian Test player Bill Whitty of East Torrens for the 4th year in a row. Ivan was one wicket short of the required number of wickets taken to qualify for the award.

In February 1914 Ivan represented South Australia in the first ever Interstate Colts match against Victoria. South Australia were defeated; however, Ivan took 6 wickets for 103 runs in Victoria's 1st Innings and 4 wickets for 71 runs in the 2nd Innings. His 10 wickets for the match would have been noted by the State selectors!

Although he had originally enlisted in 1914, Ivan continued playing cricket for the AUCC while completing his medical studies. Ivan was awarded a Blue for Cricket in 1915. He played the 1915/16 season (unofficial competition) after which the competition was suspended by the SACA until after the War.

Football

Ivan played football for the University in the Amateur league in 1911, 1912 & 1913 and played in the Intervarsity match against Melbourne in 1913.

He also played for the University in matches against Prince Alfred College (1911) and St Peter’s College (1912).

World War I

Ivan enlisted in the A.I.F. on 27th November 1914 but was discharged in March 1915 to complete his medical degree. Immediately upon receiving advice that he had passed his final year examinations on 24th September 1915, he enlisted that same day and a Commission as Captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps (A.A.M.C.) was granted on 1st October 1915. His MBBS degree was conferred in a special commemoration ceremony on 6th October 1915.
In November 1915 he sailed for the Middle East as captain in the (A.A.M.C.). From June 1916 he served with the 14th Field Ambulance mainly on the Western Front. Near Ypres, Belgium, in September-October 1917 he supervised the evacuation of casualties while under fire, for which he was awarded the Military Cross. He was promoted to Major in 1918 and returned to Australia on 10 December 1918.

Ivan’s younger brother, Wilfrid Oswald Jose, was killed in action on 2nd April 1917. Wilfrid had also been a very promising footballer and cricketer and had played A Grade in both sports with Adelaide University before enlisting.
After WWI


Family

In December 1918, soon after returning to Australia, Ivan became engaged to Imogen Mervyn (Jean) Hawkes. Ivan and Jean were married on 20th May 1919. They had three children, a daughter (Margaret Dorothea) born 5 May 1920, a son (Robert Oswald), born 19th Sept 1922 and a son John Salisbury), born 9th April 1931. Ivan’s mother died in 1925. In March 1930 Ivan and Jean bought a home on Brougham place, North Adelaide. Tragically, having lost one brother in WWI, Ivan’s remaining brother, Gilbert Edgar Jose (MB BS) died 27th March 1942 while a POW of the Japanese. Ivan’s father died in 1956. Gilbert had been an outstanding cricketer with University and the State, and his two son's Anthony and Geoffrey also played with Adelaide University. Anthony the 1949 Rhodes Scholar represented South Australia, Oxford University and Kent at the first-class level.

Career

Ivan’s career is well documented in the two biographies (see document) and in ‘Australian Doctors on the Western Front’ by Robert Likeman, CSM. Ivan and his family were in the UK in 1922 where Ivan qualified as a fellow of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, England (1922), and Edinburgh (1922). He later gained his MS at Adelaide in December 1923 and his fellowship of the Australasian Royal Colleges of Surgeons (1929). In 1929 Ivan was again studying overseas. Ivan served as a Medical Officer with the R.A.A.F. in WWII.

Sport

On his return from overseas service, he played part of the 1918/19 season when the SACA resumed games (unofficial competition). He later served two terms as the Adelaide University Cricket Club President from 1930/31 (succeeding Dr C. E. Dolling) to 1931/32 (succeeded by Dr L.C.E. Lindon).

On his return from London and Edinburgh where he completed post graduate studies, Ivan resumed his cricket career in 1923 with the North Adelaide Club. Ivan's played successfully in A Grade cricket with North Adelaide in the 1923/24 and 1924/1925 seasons and showed he had lost little of his prowess now bowling his slow spinners. His medical skills also came in handy. In one match in 1923 and again in 1924 he was needed to treat on field injuries.

By 1925 and now 32 years of age, together with his increasing responsibilities as an Honorary assistant-surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital, he retired from A Grade cricket. Had it not been for the War years Ivan's performances at A Grade level with University and North Adelaide could have been more substantial. In the years that followed he often played occasional games of cricket at University Oval when the medical graduates played the medical students. From at least 1928 Ivan's name is more commonly linked with golf in newspaper articles.

Death

Ivan Bede Jose died on the 23rd November 1969, aged 76 years and is buried at the North Road Cemetery, SA. He was survived by his wife Imojen Mervyn “Jean” Jose (1893 – 2000) and daughter Margaret Dorothea “Peg” and sons Robert Oswald “Bob” Jose and John Salisbury Jose.

Authors: EE (Beth) Filmer & Rob O'Shannassy

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents, family legacy and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.