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STUMP Claude Witherington FRS(Ed) DSc MD

1891-1971

Claude Witherington Stump was born on 28th November 1891 at Malvern, South Australia.  He was the second son of Alfred Augustus Stump, a photographer from Tasmania, and his second wife Rosa Ada, nee Potter from South Australia. Their address was “Stonehenge” Austral Terrace, Malvern. He was educated at Kyre College, Unley, South Australia. He travelled to Scotland and enrolled in medicine at Edinburgh University in 1909. Before completing his studies he served, from 1912 to 1913, with a British Red Cross Society unit, which was attached to the Serbian Army during the Balkan War.  On return to Edinburgh and at the outbreak of WW1 he served as a lieutenant in the King's Own Scottish Borderers and served in France from 1914 to 1916 at Loos and the Somme. He returned to Edinburgh and completed his medical degree and graduated MB ChB in 1917. He was a house officer and then resident surgeon for Mr Miles in the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh from late 1916 until his return to Adelaide.

Stump enlisted as a captain in the AIF on 4th November 1917 and was posted to AAMC reinforcements at Mitcham Camp, Adelaide.  He was 26 years of age 5ft 9ins, tall 154 lbs. He was proficient in both the German and Serbian language. He embarked in 4 MD on the Borda on the 5th January 1918 disembarking in Plymouth on 4th March 1918. After periods with training units in Grantham and Parkhouse he embarked for France at Southampton on 1st of June 1918. He was posted to the 2 AGH until the 4th June 1918 when he proceeded to the 3rd Australian Division joining the 11 FdAmb with a temporary attachment to the 9th FdAmb. He had leave in the United Kingdom from 9th to 23rd November 1918.  He returned to the England in anticipation of return to Australia on 15th April 1919. He had leave to attend the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh from 26th April to 26th July for medical education purposes. Following further short leave periods he joined the Plassy for return to Australia, classed as fit with no disability. He disembarked in Australia on 23rd October 1919.  His appointment to the AIF was terminated on the 22nd November 1919. He was issued with the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Stump took up a research fellowship in anatomy in Edinburgh from 1920 to 1922 working also as a house physician and surgeon, as well as lecturer and demonstrator in anatomy. During this time he gained his MD and was awarded the FRS(Ed). He married Christina Margaret Calder Urquhart on 30th November 1920. He was appointed to the Chair of Anatomy at Chulalongkorn University Thailand in 1924. He was subsequently appointed an Associate Professor at Sydney University in 1926. He was responsible for developing his discipline of histology and embryology by gaining two important endowments from George Bosch and the Rockefeller Foundation. This led to the building of the Blackburn Building of the Sydney University’s medical school. Stump continued as the Bosch Professor of histology and embryology until he retired in 1956. He was passionate about the independence of the disciplines of histology and embryology and was known to be quite demanding in his relationships with students and colleagues. His address in 1939 was given as Elva Avenue, Killara, New South Wales. His wife Christina died in 1965 and Claude Witherington Stump died on 23rd December1971 at Mona Vale. He was survived by his daughter and two sons.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australia, who Served in World War 1. 

Verco, Summers, Swain, Jelly. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2014. 

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD