“A Distinctly Busy Man” – Lieutenant Colonel (Dr) Frederick Holles Brennan, First Officer Commanding of the 1st South African Irish Regiment, 1861–1927

Abstract

Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Holles Brennan, formerly the commanding officer of the 1st South African Irish Regiment, medical officer of the Transvaal Volunteers, surgeon to the Hawarden Castle hospital ship and recipient of the Volunteer Officer’s Decoration and Long Service Medal during active service, is a forgotten name in South African military history today. Canadian-born Brennan, a qualified medical doctor, emigrated to South Africa during the 1890s. After settling in Johannesburg, he established a successful medical practice and became an integral part of the Irish-Canadian diasporic community on the Witwatersrand. This was complemented by active involvement in a range of charitable causes, in addition to participating in both the Anglo-Boer War (on the side of the British) and the First World War. From 1894–1927, Brennan made a fundamental contribution to the development of the South African military and sports history, without compromising his Irish-Canadian identity.