Frederick Charles Hurrell
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Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...
Frederick "Freddie" Charles Hurrell, (24 April 1928 – 3 October 2008) was a senior medical officer in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
who spent his 35-year military career in aviation medicine and served as Director-General of the
RAF Medical Services The Royal Air Force Medical Services is the branch of the Royal Air Force that provides health care at home and on deployed Military operation, operations to Royal Air Force, RAF service personnel. Medical RAF officer, officers are the Physicia ...
from 1986 to 1988.


Early years

Hurrell was born in the Lady Ozanne Maternity Hospital in
Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...
in 1928, the son of Alexander John Hurrell (1884–1933), a
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer, and a Spanish mother, Maria Del Carmen Bierma Cordero (1887–1968). His father died in 1933 and from the age of eight Hurrell was educated at the Royal Masonic School for Boys in
Bushey Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. It had a population of 25,328 in the 2011 census, rising to 28,416 in the 2021 census, an increase of 12.19%. This makes Bushey the second most populated town ...
in
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where he enjoyed various sports and played rugby for England Schoolboys against Scotland and Wales Schoolboys.Obituary for Air Vice-Marshal Freddie Hurrell
– ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'' – 15 October 2008


Medical training

He began his medical training at
St Mary's Hospital Medical School St Mary's Hospital Medical School was the youngest of the constituent medical schools of Imperial College School of Medicine, founded in 1854 as part of the new hospital in Paddington. During its existence in the 1980s and 1990s, it was the most ...
in
Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
in October 1946, one of only six teenage schoolboys – the others on the course being more than 50 recently
demobilised Demobilization or demobilisation (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or becaus ...
ex-servicemen. He qualified as a doctor in 1952 and worked at Paddington Green Children's Hospital in both medical and surgical house positions, intending to become a
paediatrician Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their yout ...
. On being called up to do
National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
in 1953 he joined the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
on a four-year short service commission, but went on to serve for 35 years until retiring in 1988.


Military career

From 1953 to 1965 Hurrell served as medical officer on RAF flying stations in England, Australia and Singapore; during this period he was promoted to
squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
(1960),
wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...
(1965) and learned to fly. While working in a bomber base he flew as a member of the crew to gain experience of the stresses of flying. He completed the Diploma of Aviation Medicine in 1972, and as a wing commander he served as a medical adviser to the Inspector of Air Transport. He co-ordinated the RAF's worldwide aero-medical evacuation service which every year transported more than 3,000 patients from all three services as well as their dependants. In 1974 Hurrell became the Deputy Director of Aviation Medicine, was promoted to
group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...
in 1975, and from 1978 to 1980 he was Staff Officer Aerospace Medicine in Washington on the British Defence Staff.Air Vice-Marshal Frederick C. Hurrell (St Mary's Hospital Medical School 1952) – Alumni of Imperial College, London – 13 Feb 2009
/ref> From 1980 to 1982 he was Officer Commanding RAF Princess Alexandra Hospital at RAF Wroughton. This included the time of the
Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
, when the hospital was the primary destination for casualties from that conflict. In 1981 he was promoted to
air commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...
,Hurrell on the RAF Biographies website
/ref> and on promotion to
air vice marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...
in 1984 he was appointed Principal Medical Officer at RAF Strike Command, where he had responsibility for the medical services provided to 51
Royal Air Force station This list of Royal Air Force stations is an overview of all current stations of the Royal Air Force (RAF) throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This includes front-line and training airbases, support, administrative and training statio ...
s across the world. In 1984 he was also appointed an Honorary Physician (QHP) to
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
. In 1986 Hurrell became the Director-General of the
RAF Medical Services The Royal Air Force Medical Services is the branch of the Royal Air Force that provides health care at home and on deployed Military operation, operations to Royal Air Force, RAF service personnel. Medical RAF officer, officers are the Physicia ...
, becoming responsible to the
Air Force Board The Air Force Board of the Defence Council is responsible for the management of the Royal Air Force. Prior to the creation of the current UK Ministry of Defence in 1964, the administration of the RAF and its personnel was undertaken by the ...
for all aspects of medical, dental and nursing care for the RAF and entitled dependants in
Royal Air Force station This list of Royal Air Force stations is an overview of all current stations of the Royal Air Force (RAF) throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This includes front-line and training airbases, support, administrative and training statio ...
s in the UK and across the world. After retiring from the Royal Air Force in 1988 after 35 years of service Hurrell became the Director of Appeals for the
RAF Benevolent Fund The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fundis the Royal Air Force's leading welfare charity. It supports current and former members of the RAF, their partners and families, providing practical, emotional and financial support, whenever it is needed. The F ...
, serving in that capacity for seven years. From 1997 he was a vice-president of the
Royal International Air Tattoo The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world's largest military airshow, held annually in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. The show typically attracts a to ...
, the largest air show in Europe and held each year at
Fairford Fairford is a market town in Gloucestershire, England. The town lies in the Cotswold hills on the River Coln, east of Cirencester, west of Lechlade and north of Swindon. Nearby are RAF Fairford and the Cotswold Water Park. History I ...
in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
. Hurrell died of primary brain cancer at his home in
Farnham Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...
in
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
in October 2008 aged 80 and was cremated at Aldershot Crematorium.


Honours and awards

In 1970 he received the Chadwick Gold Medal, awarded every five years and only once every 15 years to an RAF officer. He was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in 1968, and a
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(CB) in the
1986 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in suppl ...
. In 1986 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem Appointment as Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem
– ''
The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'', known generally as ''The Gazette'', is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, i ...
'' – Publication date:13 March 1986 Issue:50457 Page:3576
and elected a
Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...
of the
Faculty of Occupational Medicine Faculty of Occupational Medicine may refer to: *Faculty of Occupational Medicine (Ireland), a division of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland *Faculty of Occupational Medicine (United Kingdom) The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) ...
(FFOM) and a Fellow of the
Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest Aeronautics, aeronautical society in the world. Memb ...
(FRAeS) in 1987.


References


External links


'Air Vice-Marshal Freddie Hurrell: former head of RAF medical services'
– ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' – 27 November 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hurrell, Frederick Charles 1928 births 2008 deaths Alumni of Imperial College London Royal Air Force air marshals Royal Air Force Medical Service officers Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society Officers of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Order of St John People from the Bailiwick of Guernsey People from Farnham 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel Deaths from brain tumor Deaths from cancer in England