Major-General Sir James Murray Irwin (1858–1938)
Major-General Sir JAMES MURRAY IRWIN, K.C.M.G., C.B., late Royal Army Medical Corps, died at Bideford on 7 November 1938, aged 80.
Early Life and Education
He was born on 13 February 1858, the son of the Reverend James William Irwin, Rector of Sharon, County Donegal. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated M.B., B.Ch., M.A.O. in 1881. Nearly forty years later, in 1919, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) by the same university. During his time at Trinity College, he was also a prominent member of the college football fifteen.
Military Career
Irwin entered Netley in 1881 and joined the British Army as a surgeon on 4 February 1882. His early service included participation in the Nile Campaign under Lord Kitchener in 1898, for which he received both the British and Egyptian medals.
He later served in the South African War (1900–1902), taking part in operations in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. His involvement included key actions at Zand River, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Diamond Hill, Reit Vlei, and Belfast. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Queen’s Medal with six clasps and the King’s Medal with two clasps.
Senior Roles and Leadership
From 1906 to 1910, Irwin served as Assistant Director-General at the War Office. He later held the position of Assistant Director of Medical Services at Aldershot. In these roles, he played a significant part in the reorganisation of the Royal Army Medical Corps under Sir Alfred Keogh.
He was promoted to colonel on 11 December 1911. During the First World War (1914–1918), he served as Deputy Director of Medical Services in France and later as Director of Medical Services of the Third Army under Lord Allenby.
Honours and Distinctions
Irwin was mentioned in dispatches multiple times, appearing in the London Gazette on:
- 4 January 1917
- 29 May 1917
- 24 December 1917
- 30 December 1918
He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.) in 1917 and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (K.C.M.G.) in 1918. He was also honoured as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Retirement
He acted in the rank of major-general during the war and received the honorary rank upon his retirement on 3 June 1919.
Professional Associations
Sir James Murray Irwin joined the British Medical Association in 1882 and remained associated with the profession throughout his life.
Source
“The Services.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 2, no. 4064, 1938, p. 1116. JSTOR. Accessed 24 November 2025.
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