Virtual
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Australia

 Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Ernest Albert Guymer was born on the 10th February 1891 in Adelaide. He was the eldest of three sons of George Huften Guymer of Kilkenny, South Australia.  He was educated at Prince Alfred College and was prominent in athletics and tennis. He rowed in a school eight at the Henley on Torrens race and played Amateur League Football whilst at University. He partnered his brother Arthur in local and interstate tennis. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide graduating in 1914. He then completed his residency at the Adelaide Hospital and was a house surgeon for 6 months before enlisting in the AIF.

Guymer joined the AIF on 19th September 1915 and was commissioned as a captain for general duties in the AAMC.  He was single, 24 years old, 5ft 9ins, weighed 11st, of dark complexion, with brown hair and eyes.  Shortly after enlisting in October 1915 he became engaged to Blanche Perry of Wilpena Terrace, Kilkenny. He embarked on 11th October 1915 with reinforcements for 2 AGH and proceeded to Gallipoli on 23 November 1915, but within a week was posted to 3 AGH on Lemnos. After the evacuation from the Dardanelles he remained with 3 AGH.  He was detached to 4 LHR. When 3 AGH moved to England, Guymer went to France as RMO of 17 Bn.  The Bn was then at Flers, bogged down in mud and suffering badly from trench foot. Guymer was transferred to 4 AFA Bde in April 1917, but was sick for several weeks with mumps, and did not return to the Bde until the beginning of June. Guymer was Mentioned in Despatches on the 9th September 1917 whilst attached to the 4th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters. He was promoted major in February 1918, posted to 5 FdAmb for a short time, but was unwell again and sent back to England. During this time he had several bouts of pyrexia of unknown origin seemingly as a result of his illness with mumps. After recovering he did not return to France, but was posted to the Overseas Training Bde in England, where he remained until the end of the war. He used his accrued leave to gain surgical experience at Norwich Hospital, and in November 1919 he resigned from his AIF appointment. He returned to Australia the following year after passing the FRCS Edinburgh examination and his appointment was terminated at 4MD Adelaide on 20th August 1920. Guymer was issued with the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal with Oak Leaves.

Guymer set up a surgical practice in Ballarat on return to Australia and began a family with the birth of a son, Len Farrer, on the 23rd November 1923 at “Muiravon”, 9 Drummond St, South Ballarat.  He was appointed Honorary surgeon at the Ballarat Base Hospital in 1937 and informed them that he was going to the Coronation in England and then for post graduate work in surgery in England, Vienna and United States. Guymer was often mentioned in the local press until 1947 as a Club golfer. The family left Ballarat in August 1960 and had address of Golightly St, Port Lonsdale Victoria.  Ernest Albert Guymer died on the 2nd July 1982, aged 91 years, at Queenscliff, Victoria, and was buried at Ballarat, Victoria. His son Rex, a Melbourne Radiologist, died in Melbourne on the 20th February 2006

Source:

Likeman R., Gallipoli Doctors, Slouch Hat Publications, 2010  

Photo: PAC, WW1 Doctors

http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm28/1/awm28-1-91-0045.pdf

The Mail Adelaide 16th October 1915.