Thomas Crean Major Dr . Thomas Joseph Crean , ( Dublin , Ireland , 19 April 1873 – Mayfair , London , England , 25 March 1923 ) was an Irish rugby union player , British Army soldier and doctor . During the Second Boer War , while serving with the Imperial Light Horse , he was awarded the Victoria Cross . In 1902 , he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons . During the First World War he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order . Crean played rugby for Leinster , Ireland and the British Isles . In 1894 , he was a member of the first Ireland team to win both a Home Nations Championship and a Triple Crown . Then in 1896 he helped Ireland win their second Home Nations title . He is one of three Ireland rugby union internationals to have been awarded the Victoria Cross . The other two are Robert Johnston , who also served with the Imperial Light Horse in the Second Boer War , and Frederick Harvey who served in the First World War . Crean , Johnston and Harvey all played club rugby for Wanderers . In 1896 Crean and Johnston were also members of the same British Isles squad that toured South Africa . Early years . Family . Crean , was born in Morrison ' s Hotel , which stood on the corner of Dawson Street and Nassau Street in Dublin . Some accounts give his place of birth as No . 21 Northbrook Road , the Crean ’ s family home at the time he won the VC in 1901 . He was the fifth child of Michael Theobald Crean , a barrister who worked for the Irish Land Commission , and his wife Emma . His maternal grandparents , John and Maryanne Dunn , were the owners of the hotel where he was born . The Dunn ’ s residence was Esker House , Upper Rathmines Road , and Crean ’ s three older sisters - Mary , Emma and Eleanor – were all born there . Both his older and younger brothers , John and Frank , were also born at Morrison ’ s Hotel . A third brother , Richard , died as an infant , and a fourth sister , Alice Mary , was born in 1879 in the Crean family home at No . 7 Upper Pembroke Street . Alice would later marry Alexander Findlater Todd , one of Crean ' s rugby team - mates on the 1896 British Isles tour of South Africa . John followed in his father ' s footsteps becoming a barrister in the Land Commission . Frank studied engineering , emigrating to Canada where he undertook a survey of Saskatchewan in 1908 - 09 on behalf of the Canadian Government . Education . Crean and his brothers all initially attended Belvedere College before becoming boarders at Clongowes Wood College . Thomas attended Clongowes from 1889 until 1891 . As a student he was noted as a fine athlete , excelling not only at rugby but also at both the quarter and half mile running events . He was also a very fine swimmer , and it was as a swimmer that he first demonstrated his bravery . On 11 September 1891 , while swimming with fellow students near Blackrock , Dublin , he helped rescue a 21 year old art student named , William Ahern . Crean noticed Ahern was in trouble and together with a young solicitor named Leachman from Dundrum , he managed to bring him ashore . For his bravery he was awarded a medal by the Royal Humane Society . In October 1891 Crean commenced his medical studies at the Royal College of Surgeons and after graduating as a doctor in 1896 , he became a Licentiate of both the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians . Rugby career . Clubs and Province . As a student Crean played at half - back and on joining Wanderers in 1891 he played in the same position for their third XV . However after switching to the forward row for the 1892 - 93 season , he was quickly promoted to their senior side . While working as a young doctor in St . Vincent ’ s Hospital , Crean also served as captain of the hospital ’ s rugby team for four years . He went onto represent Leinster against both Ulster and Munster in 1894 , 1895 and 1896 . During the 1895 - 96 season he also played for Richmond , possibly working as a medic in London at the same time . When he moved to South Africa he played for Johannesburg Wanderers . Ireland . Between 1894 and 1896 , Crean made 9 appearances and scored two tries for Ireland . He made his international debut on 3 February 1894 in a 7 - 5 win against England at Blackheath . On 24 February he helped Ireland defeat Scotland 5 - 0 at Lansdowne Road . Then on 10 March he helped Ireland win both the 1894 Home Nations Championship and their first ever Triple Crown with a 3 - 0 win against Wales in Belfast . Among his team mates during the 1894 campaign was Lucius Gwynn . Crean also played in all three games during both the 1895 and 1896 Home Nations Championship s . He scored both of his tries against Wales . The first came on 16 March 1895 in a 5 - 3 defeat at Cardiff Arms Park . Crean showed his strength and drive when he scored Ireland ’ s only points by catching a long line - out throw before driving across the line with a number of Welshmen hanging out of him . The second try came at Lansdowne in an 8 - 4 win on 14 March 1896 . The win helped Ireland win their second Home Nations title . This latter game would also be his final appearance for Ireland . British Lions . In 1896 Crean was a member of the British Isles squad on their tour to South Africa . He was part of strong Irish contingent , being one of nine Irishmen selected . The others included Robert Johnston , Louis Magee , James Magee , Larry Bulger , Jim Sealy , Andrew Clinch , Arthur Meares and Cecil Boyd . He played in all four tests against South Africa and scored a try in the second . The tour captain , Johnny Hammond , only played in seven of the 21 games and Crean took over the captains role in his absence , including for two of the Test games . Military career . Second Boer War . When the British Isles tour ended , Crean decided to stay on in South Africa , working as a doctor in a hospital in Johannesburg and playing rugby for Johannesburg Wanderers . In 1899 , at the start of the Second Boer War , he enlisted as a trooper in the Imperial Light Horse and took part in both the Relief of Mafeking and the Relief of Ladysmith . On 26 October 1899 , according to the " Irish Times " , the Imperial Light Horse particularly distinguished themselves in the Battle of Elandslaagete . The " Irish Times " of the following day reported with regret that the list of wounded included Crean . It was during this engagement that that Crean ’ s former Wanderers and British Isles ' team mate Robert Johnston won his Victoria Cross . In 1901 , he became a Surgeon Captain and on 18 December , at the Battle of Tygerkloof , he won his VC when he successfully attended the wounds of two soldiers and a fellow officer under heavy enemy fire . He was wounded in the stomach and arm during these encounters and was invalided back to England where he made a full recovery . On 13 March 1902 , he was presented with the Victoria Cross by Edward VII in a ceremony at St . James ' s Palace . The citation read : One week later , on 20 March 1902 , the members of St . Vincent ’ s Hospital Football Club gave a dinner at the Dolphin Hotel in his honour . In the same year , he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons . Between 1902 until 1906 he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps . First World War . In 1905 , Crean married Victoria , daughter of Senor Don Thomas Heredia , of Malaga , Spain , and had a son , Patrick , and a daughter , Carmen . He retired from the army on 8 September 1906 , and started a private practice in Harley Street . However , following the outbreak of the First World War , he rejoined the Royal Army Medical Corps on 12 August 1914 . He served with the 1st Cavalry Brigade , being wounded several times and was twice mentioned in despatches . In June 1915 he was made a companion of the Distinguished Service Order . He was promoted to Major on 26 February 1916 , and commanded the 44th Field Ambulance , British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front . Later years . After the war Crean was appointed Medical Officer in Charge of the Hospital in the Royal Enclosure , Ascot where he once performed a life saving trepanning operation on a jockey who was thrown from his horse during a race . He ran out onto the course in his shirt sleeves and saved the jockey ' s life by removing portions of the bones of his skull with a hammer and chisel . He also returned to his practice in Harley Street but by now his war service had begun to seriously affect his health and he was unable to maintain the business . Towards the end of his life Crean suffered from financial difficulties and in June 1922 he was declared bankrupt . He died from diabetes on 25 March 1923 , aged 49 , at his residence 13 Queen Street , Mayfair , London . He is buried in St . Mary ’ s R . C . Cemetery , Kensal Green , ( Grave No . 896 ) . His father , Michael Theobald Crean , is buried in the same cemetery but at a different plot . His VC medal is displayed at the Army Medical Services Museum . On 1 August 2001 the South African Post Office issued a stamp featuring Crean as part of their commemorations for the Second Boer War . Sources . city