Colin Cockcroft

Lieutenant General Dr. Colin Royden Cockcroft SSA SSA SM SD SM MMM, MBChB (4 October 1917 – 5 December 1987)^[1] was a South African military commander.

Lieutenant General Dr. Colin Royden Cockcroft SSA SSA SD SM MMM, MBChB
Born	(1917-10-04)4 October 1917 Dordrecht, Cape Province, Union of South Africa (now Eastern Cape)
Died	30 June 1987(1987-06-30) (aged 69)
Allegiance	South African Army
Rank	Lieutenant General Dr.
Awards
Spouse(s)	Ellen Cornelia Johanna Peacock

A medical doctor, he served as Surgeon General of the South African Medical Service from 1969 to 1977.

Early career

He obtained a MBChB degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1946 and later obtained a master's degree in pediatrics from the University of Pretoria^[1]

Military career

He joined the South African Army's medical corps in 1947 but later resigned in 1948.

He served in 5 & 7 Field Ambulance in the Citizen Force until he joined the Permanent Force in 1960.^[2][3]

He commanded 1 Military Hospital (Pretoria), served as Deputy Surgeon General and later commanded the centralised South African Medical Service, as Surgeon-General, from 1969 to 1977, before he retired^[3]

Awards and decorations

• Star of South Africa (Gold) (SSAG)
• Star of South Africa (1952) (SSA)
• Southern Cross Decoration (SD)
• Southern Cross Medal (1952) (SM)
• Military Merit Medal (MMM)

He also served on the South African Medical and Dental Council and was a member of the South African Academy of Art and Science. on 1 December 1973 he was appointed the first Honorary Professor of Medicine at the University of Pretoria^[4]