{{Short description|Irish rugby union player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = William Purdon | image = William Brooke Purdon.jpeg | birth_name = William Brooke Purdon | birth_date = {{birth date|1881|12|28|df=y}} | birth_place = Belfast, Ireland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1950|12|1|1881|12|28|df=yes}} | death_place = Kensington, England | height = | weight = | school = Royal Belfast Academical Institution<br/>Methodist College Belfast | university = Queen's College, Belfast | position = Scrum-half | ru_currentteam = | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = Queen's College | amatteam2 = North of Ireland F.C. | amatteam3 = Collegians | amatteam4 = Army | years1 = | apps1 = | points1 = | ru_clubupdate = | provinceyears1 = | province1 = | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | ru_provinceupdate = | repyears1 = 1906 | repteam1 = Ireland | repcaps1 = 3 | reppoints1 = 3 | ru_ntupdate = }}
Major-General '''William Brooke Purdon''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DSO|OBE|MC}} (28 November 1881 – 1 December 1950<ref>[https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/244145220/william-brooke-purdon William Brooke Purdon] Find A Grave</ref>) was an Irish soldier, physician and medical administrator. Towards the end of his life he was a representative of the Northern Ireland Government in London and for four years was an Honorary Surgeon to the King. In his youth Purdon was a rugby footballer of some note, representing several Irish clubs and was selected to play international rugby for Ireland on three occasions in 1906.
==Personal career== William Purdon was born in Belfast in 1881. He was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Methodist College Belfast before matriculating to Queen's College, Belfast where he studied medicine.<ref>{{cite web|title=RAMC: Royal Army Medical Corps WW1|url=http://www.ramc-ww1.com/profile.php?profile_id=11728|website=ramc-ww1.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Owen |editor1-first=O.L. |title=Playfair Rugby Football Annual 1951-52|year=1952|publisher=Playfair Books Ltd |page=203 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="BMJ">{{cite journal | pmc=2039610 | title=Obituary: W. Brooke Purdon D.S.O., M.B.E., M.C., M.B.| journal=British Medical Journal |date=23 December 1950 | pmid=14792052 | volume=2 | issue=4694 |pages=1449| doi=10.1136/bmj.2.4694.1449}}</ref> He graduated as Bachelor of Medicine in 1906 and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps.<ref name="BMJ"/> In 1913 he took the Doctor of Public Health, and it was his specialisation in hygiene that he made his name after the war. During the First World War Purdon served the British Army with distinction. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches three times during the conflict.
In 1923 he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire and Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.<ref name="BMJ"/> From 1930 to 1934 he was assistant director of Hygiene at the War Office and from 1934 to 1935 he was Deputy Director Medical Services British Troops in Egypt.<ref name="generals.dk">{{cite web | url=http://www.generals.dk/general/Purdon/William_Brooke/Great_Britain.html | title=Purdon, William Brooke; Major-General (1881–1950)| work=generals.dk | date=23 December 1950 | access-date=11 January 2011}}</ref> From 1935 to 1938 he was Professor of Hygiene at Royal Army Medical College and during the Second World War he was medical supervisor of Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton.<ref name="BMJ"/> From 1938 to 1941 he was Honorary Surgeon to King George VI. In 1940 he was awarded the post of Deputy Director Medical Services Western Command.<ref name="generals.dk"/> After retiring from the British Army he took up the role of Agent in London of the Northern Ireland Government.<ref name="BMJ"/>
==Rugby career== Purdon first played rugby union as a schoolboy, before playing for the Queen's College team. It was while representing Queen's College that he was selected for the Ireland national team, playing all three games in the 1906 Home Nations Championship. His first match, played away to England, saw him score a try in a 16–6 victory. Although part of the losing Ireland team against Scotland in February, his final game home to Wales saw a win which gave Ireland the Championship title. The Wales game, which Ireland won 11–6, saw the Irish team finish with just 13 men on the pitch, after Ernie Caddell broke his leg and Purdon was forced to withdraw with torn knee ligaments.<ref>Godwin (1984) p. 83</ref> As well as Queen's, Purdon also played for North of Ireland F.C. and Collegians and was selected for the Army rugby team.
In 1949, Purdon was made President of London Irish, a post he held until his death in 1950.
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== * {{cite book |last=Godwin |first=Terry |title=The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983 |year=1984 |publisher=Willows Books |location=London |isbn=0-00-218060-X}} * {{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=John|title=The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records |year=1987 |publisher=Phoenix House |location=London |isbn=0-460-07003-7}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purdon, William}} Category:1881 births Category:1950 deaths Category:Military personnel from Belfast Category:People educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution Category:People educated at Methodist College Belfast Category:Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Category:Ireland international rugby union players Category:Irish rugby union players Category:Irish military doctors Category:Rugby union scrum-halves Category:North of Ireland F.C. players Category:Queen's University RFC players Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Royal Army Medical Corps officers Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Officers of the Order of St John Category:Irish healthcare managers Category:Medical doctors from Belfast Category:Collegians (Belfast) rugby union players