Daniel Knobel

South African general and doctor (1936–2021)

Daniel Pieter 'Neil' Knobel (29 November 193622 July 2021) was a South African military commander. A medical doctor, he was Surgeon General, in command of the South African Medical Service, from 1988 to 1997.

Knobel was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1936. Educated at the Afrikaans Boys High School in Pretoria, South Africa, he graduated with an MD and as specialist anatomist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 1966. After being involved in academic medicine as a teacher of anatomy to approximately 20,000 students of all health professions in both Scotland and South Africa, he retired as Professor and Head of the Anatomy Department at the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 1979.

He officially visited 160 military and scientific installations in 14 countries, received 21 honours and awards and was decorated on seven occasions. In particular the Order of the Star of South Africa (Silver) was conferred on him by the State President of the RSA in 1992 and in 1994, Queen Elizabeth II sanctioned his promotion to Knight of the Order of St John.

He is the author/co author of 72 academic, military and/or scientific publications and is associated with 45 professional societies/organizations. With a special devotion to the needs of the disabled, he established the Curamus Association and Curamus Monument, for serving and ex serving members of the Security Services of the RSA in 1989 and was awarded the World Veterans Fund Rehabilitation Prize for his work in this regard in 2000.