Editing Neville Howse (section)

===Boer War===
Howse served in the [[Second Boer War]] with the Second Contingent of the [[New South Wales Army Medical Corps]], [[Australian Forces]], arriving at [[East London, Eastern Cape]], in February 1900<ref>Braga 2000, p53.</ref> as a [[first lieutenant|lieutenant]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27863 |page=8902 |date=12 December 1905 }}</ref>

On 24 July 1900, during the action at [[Vredefort]], South Africa, Howse saw a trumpeter fall, and went through very heavy cross-fire to rescue the man. His horse was soon shot from under him, but he continued on foot, reached the casualty, dressed his wound, and then carried him to safety. For this action, Howse was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]]. The award was [[London Gazette|gazetted]] on 4 June 1901 and the original citation reads:
{{Quote|[[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|The King]] has been graciously pleased to signify His intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officer, and Soldier, for their conspicuous bravery in South Africa, as stated against their names :—

New South Wales Medical Staff Corps, Captain N. R. House{{sic}}

During the action at Vredefort on 24 July 1900, Captain House went out under a heavy cross fire and picked up a wounded man, and carried him to a place of shelter.<ref name='GazetteVC'>{{London Gazette |issue=27320 |page=3769 |date=4 June 1901 }}</ref>}}

He thus became the first recipient of the Victoria Cross serving in the Australian armed forces; his medal is on display at the [[Australian War Memorial]] in [[Canberra]].<ref name="Lindsay 2003, p52">Lindsay 2003, p52.</ref> Howse was subsequently promoted to [[captain (OF-2)|captain]] on 15 October 1900.<ref name="Braga 2000, p59">Braga 2000, p59.</ref>

The Second Contingent left South Africa via [[Cape Town]] on 13 December 1900 on the S.S. ''Orient'',<ref name="Murray 1911, p16">Murray 1911, p16.</ref> however Howse had been invalided to Britain on 28 November 1900.<ref name=ShippingDec1900>{{cite web |url=http://www.angloboerwar.com/Other/shipping/190012.htm |title=Shipping Records Dec 1900 |access-date=15 September 2008 |work=Anglo Boer War.com |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201150011/http://www.angloboerwar.com/Other/shipping/190012.htm |archive-date=1 December 2008}}</ref> Howse subsequently returned to Australia at the end of February 1901.<ref name="Braga 2000, p59"/> Following the gazetting of his VC, Howse was presented with the medal in a ceremony at [[Victoria Barracks, Sydney]] on 4 December 1901. Also at the ceremony were Captain [[Alfred Spencer Heathcote|A. Heathcote]] and Sergeant [[John Paton (VC)|J. Paton]], prior recipients of the VC for actions during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], who had subsequently migrated to New South Wales.<ref>Tyquin 1999, p24.</ref>

Howse returned to South Africa as a major with the [[Australian Army Medical Corps]] (AAMC) in command of the Bearer Company, arriving at Durban in Natal on 17 March 1902. Following service in Natal, Orange River Colony and Western Transvaal (attached to Colonel A.W. Thornycroft's Mounted Infantry Column), at the conclusion of the war he became seriously ill. He was again invalided to Britain on 6 July 1902,<ref name=ShippingJul1902>{{cite web |url=http://www.angloboerwar.com/Other/shipping/190207.htm |title=Shipping Records Jul 1902 |access-date=15 September 2008 |work=Anglo Boer War.com |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201133918/http://www.angloboerwar.com/Other/shipping/190207.htm |archive-date=1 December 2008}}</ref> with the remainder of the AAMC contingent departing for Australia on 8 July 1902.<ref name="Murray 1911, p16"/> Howse eventually returned to Australia in November 1902.

In 1905 Howse married Evelyn Pilcher in [[Bathurst, New South Wales|Bathurst]], and was twice elected to serve as mayor of the [[City of Orange (New South Wales)|City of Orange]].