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BRITTEN-JONES Sir Edmund MA MB BS FRCP FRACP

1888-1953

Edmund (Teddy) Britten-Jones was born on 8th October 1888, in Adelaide He was the son of Edward Britten-Jones, the SA Government Valuator, and his wife Mary, nee Kirby. He was educated initially at St Dominic's Priory in North Adelaide and, from 1899-1905, at Christian Brothers College in Adelaide. He excelled academically and at most sports.  He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, and graduated in 1910 at the top of the class, winning the Everard Scholarship. At university, he played tennis, cricket and competed in athletics and was awarded a Blue for cricket. He also played league football for North Adelaide. He was the South Australian Rhodes Scholar in 1912, and at Magdalen College, Oxford, was awarded first-class honours in Physiology.  Britten-Jones joined the RAMC in 1914 shortly after the outbreak of the war. He was to serve in the RAMC for the next 6 years. Much of this service was in India where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. During his time in India, he played first-class cricket for the Europeans against India. He married Hilda Madeline Fisher, on the 4th October 1915, in Bombay, India. She was the youngest daughter of Adelaide barrister, Francis Fisher and Ella, nee Sellar. Hilda was an amateur golfer and South Australia champion for eight consecutive years from 1921 to 1929.  Britten-Jones and Hilda moved to Bangalore where, in 1918, their son Richard was born. They returned to South Australia in 1920. Initially, he entered practice in Penola, SA, before moving to general practice in Seaview Road, Henley Beach, with his consulting rooms attached to the house. Britten-Jones continued his love of cricket and joined the West Torrens Cricket club. He became the medical officer for Estcourt House, Tennyson, which accommodated blind and other disabled adults and children with joint tuberculosis. He was responsible, from 1921, for the long-term convalescence of children with rheumatic fever. He travelled to England in 1926 and took the MRCP and was awarded the MA (Oxon). He returned to SA, and was appointed an honorary physician for Children at the QVMH in 1927, and an honorary physician at the Adelaide Children's Hospital in 1929.  He was president of the SA Branch BMA from 1927 to 1929, having previously been the honorary medical secretary He was the doctor to His Excellency, the Governor of South Australia and the Archbishop Room at Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide.

Britten-Jones enlisted in WW2, on 26th January 1940. He was posted, at the rank of lieutenant colonel, as OC medical division of 2/2nd AGH.  He went with the hospital to Gaza, in Palestine. And then Kantara in Egypt. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches during his WW2 service. He was discharged on 22nd December 1941

Britten-Jones resumed his appointment at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital until he retired in 1947. Britten-Jones and his wife continued their love of sport and greatly enjoyed their membership of the Royal Adelaide Golf Club. He also was a keen enthusiast for horseracing and, in time, owned his own racing horses; sadly, only moderately successful. He was made a Knight Bachelor for his service to Medicine in 1953, and received his knighthood from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace, in the Coronation Year.  Later that year Edmund Britten-Jones died, on 30th September 1953, at his home in North Adelaide, just before his 65th birthday. He was survived by his wife, Hilda, and their three children, Richard Peggy and Jocelyn.

Source

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

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

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD