Other Information:After his initial education at Portsmouth Grammar School, Edward then studied medicine and surgery at Charing Cross Medical School in London, where he graduated M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. on 21 February 1908. After qualifying he initially worked as a House Physician and Surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital in The Strand, and then as House Anaesthetist at the Royal Dental Hospital in Leicester Square. In the 1911 Medical Directory he is listed as living at Charing Cross Hospital. In the 1911 census he is listed as a medical practitioner living with his mother in Coulsdon, Surrey. In 1912 he moved overseas to serve with the West African Medical Service as a physician and anaesthetist. At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, Edward was serving with 3 Nigeria Regiment as a civilian doctor. He was then commissioned as a Temporary Captain into the Royal Army Medical Corps on 3 October 1914 (London Gazette), entering Theatre on the same day in East Africa as medical officer attached to the West African Field Force. He was then promoted to Captain and later served as medical officer with the Nyasaland Field Force from June 1917 until October 1918, again in East Africa. On 30 May 1919, he was awarded the M.B.E. (Military Division) for his distinguished service with the West African Field Force, with his general citation reading as follows: “For valuable services rendered in connection with military operations in East Africa.”
On 7 April 1919 (London Gazette) he was further mentioned for service with the Nyasaland Field Force by Lt. Gen. Sir J.L. Van Daventer, in his dispatch dated 20 January 1919: “For valuable services rendered during the period 1 August 1918 to the conclusion of hostilities.”
At the end of of the war Edward relinquished his commission and retained his rank of Captain (London Gazette 7 April 1919.) He then returned to his former position with the West African Medical Service, however, he is reported to have died on 24 March 1927 while serving in West Africa, he was forty-one years old - notice of his death and his obituary were later published in the British Medical Journal on 16 April 1927. In his obituary, after listing his distinguished service a colleague with the West African Medical Service wrote: “By his death the staff have lost one of it’s most promising officers. A sound physician and an expert anaesthetist, Dr Quirk was also very efficient at administrative work and he was soon marked out for early and high advancement in the service. As regards his personal character, he was kind and generosity personified. These qualities, added to his never-failing fund of wit and tact, endeared him to us all.”
His Medal Index Card confirms his appointments, entitlement, theatre of operation, date of entry and that he applied for his medals on 13 August 1920, with them being issued on 10 December 1921 along with his emblems. His UK address is given as: 41 Belgrave Road, London SW1. Edward was the son of Jane and Dr Martin Quirk, MD, both originally from Ireland. By the 1901 census his father appears to have died, as Edward is now living in Southsea Hampshire with his three brothers and mother, who is, “Living on own means”. [Information researched and kindly provided by Michael W Cook]
|