Central & Western Districts - People of Note: Colonel (Dr) David Pottinger MC, MD, ChB (Edin), MRCP (Lond): Brief History

Shared by Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive

Central & Western Districts - People of Note: Colonel (Dr) David Pottinger MC, MD, ChB (Edin), MRCP (Lond): Brief History - MC - Military Cross, MD - Medical Doctor, ChB - Bachelor of Surgery MRCP - Member of the Royal College of Physicians' London 2nd NZEF WW1, RAMC - Royal Army Medical Corps, 1st NZ Gen Hosp WW2 IMAGES: Photo 1 - From details given, "1940 Colonel David Pottinger, taken at 58 Don St, Invercargill, before leaving NZ in 3rd Echelon. Building opposite Dr McCaws house, on which site the Southland Building Society built their head office in the 1990's." Photographer unknown. NOTE: this particular photo is an enlargement made by Stewart's Pharmacy, Dee St, Invercargill. Photo 2 - Original photo of above, black and white print mounted on folded cream card. Written on the back, are the same details as those above. Photo 3 - Copy of back of photo, with the above details written on the card. Photo 4 - Copy of front of enlargement photo mount, "Stewarts Pharmacy". Photo 5 - Proof sheet of 48 B&W thumbnails from a photo shoot of Colonel David Pottinger in his military uniform, striking a range of various poses. Photo 6 - Back of proof sheet thumbnails page, which is badly stained. Written in handwriting is, "Colonel David Pottinger MC, MD, MRCP". Stamped in cerise ink is: The number of this POLYFOTO is No. 4611 Please quote this number with position number when ordering enlargements." For Colonel and Doctor David Pottinger, who was to pass away at their holiday home (crib) in Te Anau, Murihiku Southand, this war veteran's life started very differently, on the other side of the world. His story in brief is below, more will follow at a later date, as we process the archive, photos and records of this family collection: Colonel David Pottinger was born to David & Elizabeth (nee Tait) Pottinger in Stove, Orkney in 1890. Qualifying as a Doctor in 1913 he was to serve in France during the first two years of WW1, after which he went to Salonika (or the Macedonian Front), then heading to Hewin in Cairo, Egypt. During the Battle of Somme in 1916, David was awarded the MC or Military Cross. It is of note that he never told anyone, not even his family, how he came to be given this notable medal. It was only after his death that the family, in their research of their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, found out. The citation for this MC will be part of yet another entry on this great man. During the years of 1914 to 1930, Colonel David Pottinger was to serve the British Army in India, at Poona. The fascinating life there is documented in the many records and photos that are contained in the large collection of material presented to us at the CWA Community Archives, to preserve for posterity, on the life and times of Colonel David Pottinger and his wider family. While in Palestine during WW1, Colonel Pottinger was to meet his life-long love and soon to be wife, Isabel Smith - who was an army nurse working at the Haifa Hospital. They were married on Mount Carmel on 1 January 1921 and after this they moved to England, where their daughter Margaret was born in Cheltenham in 1922 (and pivotal to this collection being placed in the CWA Community Archives is the fact that Margaret later grew up to marry John O'Brien of Sunnyside Station, Monowai, Murihiku Southland.) On heading to India for David to continue serving with the British Army in the RAMC, the couple had another son, also David, in 1925 born in India. After coming over to Aotearoa NZ and spending time with his brother John who was already a well established Doctor here, with a practice in Don St, Invercargill, Colonel David Pottinger and his family immigrated here also, in 1930. This is where their son, also John, was born in 1931. Dr Pottinger's Doctors Surgery and home was at 58 Don Street, Invercargill, which is now where Scholfield, Cockcroft and Lloyd Lawyers have their building. With the medical practice attached to the house, Dr Pottinger was on duty 24/7. This building will feature in another entry in these online Archives in future, as will Dr John Pottinger, David's brother. David's wife Isabel was Scottish, and the couple spent time with her family while visiting in later years. Her mother and sisters wrote regularly to Isabel on her coming to Aotearoa NZ with her husband and children to start a new life here and many of these letters and photos from the family 'back home' will also feature in these community archives later on, as a showcase of families here living worlds away from where they grew up. When WW2 came along, in 1940, Doctor David Pottinger joined up with the Military Reserve and volunteered to go overseas. The family account says that on being asked to train up doctors for the war effort in Aotearoa NZ, David Pottinger said he would not do that unless he could go with his men to war, as he had experienced the horrors of it. So he went with the 3rd Echelon to Egypt. Colonel Pottinger was with the 2nd NZ General Hospital from April 1940 to August 1941 where he was in charge of the Medical Division there. Following this, he was made Commanding Officer of the 1st NZ General Hospital in Egypt, and he remained here until August 1944. There is of course much more to this war story, and that too will be shared in future in more entries in these archives. With the war ended, the now Colonel and Doctor David Pottinger returned to his medical practice and family, and became an Honourable surgeon at the Southland Hospital. In 1951, his son, also David, who was to become a noted Doctor as well, joined the Medical Practice and Doctor's Surgery with him, which freed up Colonel David Pottinger and his wife Isabel to return on a holiday trip to the UK the same year. On returning from that, Doctor David Pottinger, Colonel and War Veteran, continued practising medicine right up until the time of his death, on holiday in Te Anau in January 1962. The couple's original holiday home (crib or bach) on the shores of the Lake, remains in the family's hands and here is where the couple made many happy memories with locals and visitors to the district alike.This property will also be featured in more entries in these online archives to come later, as it covers a lot of early Te Anau history, from days and times before the township existed. Hopefully this entry will be added to as more information comes to hand. If you or anyone you know has any more information or photos to share or accounts of Dr David Pottinger, his wife Isobel or their various family members during the years, please do share this with us in the comments section. You can do this by making a comment in the space provided under the image page. Or make contact with us as per the archive front page. Note: these entries are compiled with information provided by donors with the records, from locally reported news, from national and occasionally international reports in publications, from personal records made by the people themselves - such as their electoral enrollments, wills, war records etc., also from government and council held records such as births, deaths and marriages or cemetery information, and lastly, from community memories, such as those passed on by friends, family and contemporaries. It is not always possible to verify memories from others, so please let us know if you believe we have any incorrect information. If you believe that any public or personal record information quoted is wrong, if you can provide proof of any alternative fact to us in a document showing evidence of the correct details, that would be very helpful to us. Thank you.