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War Memorial
Australia

Husband of Doris Emilie RAYSON nee WATERHOUSE, 'Rosslyn', Nicholson Street, Burwood, New South Wales

Military Cross

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action. For several days he rendered first aid in the trenches under very heavy shell fire, and worked day and night till the wounded were finally evacuated.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 184
Date: 14 December 1916

Hugh Rayson was born on 23 October 1891 at Petersham, New South Wales to Henry and Priscilla Rayson. He was privately educated before being accepted at Sydney University to study medicine, which he graduated from in 1914. While studying he met Doris Waterhouse, who was also attending the university studying Arts. They married on 10 April 1915 at Burwood. In November of that year, Rayson joined the 1st Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) and was assigned as a medical officer to the 57th Battalion with the rank of captain. Not long after, he was sent overseas eventually arriving in France in 1916 where he participated in the Battle of Fromelles. He was awarded the Military Cross (gazetted 26 September 1916) after the battle to acknowledge the “… several days he rendered first aid in the trenches under very heavy shell fire, and worked day and night, till the wounded were finally evacuated.” At the end of the war he was promoted to the rank of major.

After returning to Australia in 1919, Rayson went into general medical practice in Manilla, New South Wales. He had four children, Barbara who was born in 1916, Brian, Brenda, and David. Rayson re-enlisted in 1940 and joined the 2/10 Field Ambulance as a major. He was deployed to Malaya in July 1941 which led to his capture during the fall of Singapore in that same year. His son Brian, who had followed him into the military, died of illness while a prisoner of war in Burma on 24 November 1943. The illnesses Rayson suffered while a prisoner of war continued to affect him after his release and return to Australia in 1945. He spent quite a bit of time in and out of hospitals, particularly for the lingering effects of amoebic dysentery. Eventually he returned to general practice and took an interest in a large garden at Arakoon, New South Wales. He died on 17 August 1961 at the age of 69.  AWM (www.awm.gov.au)