Hocken Digital Collections

Begg family : Papers collected by Dr Neil Begg

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Reference NumberAG-497CreatorBegg familyDescriptionThe collection consists principally of papers belonging to Colonel Charles Mackie Begg, relating to his experiences during World War I in command of Field Ambulance and Medical Corps in Egypt, Gallipoli, and on the Western Front. The papers are accompanied by related research and annotations by his son, Dr Neil Begg. The collection also contains two diaries of the voyage to New Zealand by Alexander Begg, on board the Alpine, 1859-1860, and Katherine Begg (nee Clarke) on the Hamilla Mitchell, 1864.
Only a small part of this collection is digitised and available through Digital Collections. Information about other items can be found on the Hākena catalogue, through the Library Catalogues link above.History / BiographyCharles Mackie Begg was born in Dunedin on 13 September 1879. His father, Alexander Campbell Begg, migrated from Scotland in 1859 bringing with him a family tradition of farming in Lanarkshire and Free Church Presbyterian beliefs. In Otago Alexander met, and in 1867 married Katherine Clarke whose family had settled at "Mossfield' near Clinton in South Otago. The Beggs raised a family of nine children in Dunedin, the fourth son being named Charles Mackie Begg. Charles was educated at Otago Boys High School before entering the Otago University Medical School in 1897. He completed the Preliminary Medical Course before moving to Edinburgh for further study. He graduated MB,ChB with distinction in 1903, following this with the M.D. in 1905 and a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1906. The young doctor returned to Wellington in 1906 and joined Dr Logan in general practice. He was appointed Honorary Surgeon to the Children's Hospital. A tour of duty as medical officer to the Royal Engineers in the "Itaura" to Somaliland in 1903 had given him an interest in army medicine and he was commissioned as Surgeon-Captain in the New Zealand Medical Corps in 1906. In 1909 he was given command of the 5 Field Ambulance, serving first in the Voluntary Force and later in the Territorial Army. On 9 December 1909 he was married to Lillian Helen Lawrence Treadwell. In the following years two sons were born to them. After the outbreak of WW I Begg sailed with the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in October 1914. With the rank of Lt. Colonel, he was in command of the 1 Field Ambulance which disembarked at Alexandria on 3 December 1914 and was stationed for four months at a training camp in the Zeitoun Desert. On 11 April 1915 the Field Ambulance left for Gallipoli. Begg established a dressing station on the beach which between 25 April and 5 August treated 15,000 wounded Anzacs. On 9 August Col. Manders, ADMS of the New Zealand & Australian Forces, was shot and Col. Begg was ordered to take his place. Begg himself had to be evacuated to England in August to recover from para-typhoid fever. After a short convalescence he returned to Gallipoli at the beginning of November. He was re-appointed ADMS New Zealand & Australian Division and helped to plan the successful withdrawal of troops from the Peninsula. The New Zealand Division was moved from Egypt to the Western Front in April & May 1916. On 31 October 1916 General Godley was promoted to command the 2nd ANZAC Corps and he asked Col. Begg to join him as Corps D.D.M.S. The Medical Corps served at Messines in June 1917 and Passchendaele in October 1917. In early 1918 Gen. Godley was promoted to command the XXII Army Corps and again asked Begg to join him as Corps D.D.M.S. The Corps was moved south to help stem the German offensive which began on 21 March 1918. On 20 November 1918, after the fighting had ceased, Begg was promoted to D.M.S. in London. Six weeks later he developed a fulminating influenzal pneumonia and died on 2 February 1919. In his war years he had advanced to the top medical post in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was the most decorated member of the Medical Corps.
(Fom Folder 5, 'Charles Mackie Begg' notes written by Dr Neil Begg).

'Lt Cols, Begg & Batchelor'

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SubjectsWorld War, 1914-1918

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Begg family : Papers collected by Dr Neil Begg

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