Jagusch, Thomas

Thomas Henry Jagusch began life in Auckland on 1 July 1909, the second son of German-born Franz Oskar Richard Jagusch (1862-1934) and his wife Jeronime Mary Jagusch (nee Mulholland) (1882-1953).

After graduating from Otago Medical School, Thomas met nurse Beatrice (Trixi) Annie Tunstall-Ashley (1908-1997) while they were both working at Auckland Hospital. The couple married in 1936 and had three sons, Karl, Chris and Mark.

The Jagusch family made their home in New Plymouth where Thomas initially worked as a locum for Dr Peter Davie, a role which included delivering more than 300 babies every year. The young doctor was routinely mentioned in local newspaper articles about medical cases and called upon to give testimony at inquests in cases of accidental deaths, from car crashes to drownings. He also ran various first aid classes around the region and was involved in the formation of a New Plymouth branch of the New Zealand League of the Hard of Hearing, later becoming branch president. He served on the medical committee of the Taranaki Anti-Tuberculosis Association too and as vice president of the Taranaki St John Ambulance Association.

A keen tennis player and golfer as well as honorary surgeon for the Fitzroy Surf Club, Thomas even found time to act as medical officer at local boxing matches and belong to the New Plymouth Aero Club. He enjoyed being on the road just as much, serving as honorary surgeon of the New Plymouth Motor Cycle Club and being caught speeding around New Plymouth in his car on several occasions but plausibly claiming they were all whilst attending to urgent medical cases.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Thomas joined the New Plymouth Home Guard which allowed him time to serve on the medical board undertaking examinations of recently enlisted men in New Plymouth. In September 1940 he was appointed part-time medical officer to the Royal New Zealand Air Force flying training school at Bell Block.

Thomas was himself called up for service in June 1942 and had to leave his medical practice from 3 August 1943 in order to join the NZ Medical Corps in Italy and the Middle East. Members of the Hard-of-Hearing League threw him a farewell party before he left, having decided that he should remain their president even whilst overseas and granting him a special leave of absence for the duration of his time in the military. Thomas achieved the rank of Captain on 16 March 1944 and was later awarded the War Medal 1939-1945 and the New Zealand Service War Medal.

Returning to civilian life, Thomas completed his training in gynaecology and obstetrics in Melbourne in 1947 then set up his own specialist practice back in New Plymouth. He was made superintendent of the maternity hospital in Westown when it opened in 1957 and retired in 1975.

Thomas Jagusch died on 1 April 1978 aged 68 and is buried alongside his wife in Te Hēnui Cemetery.