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Charles Graham WILSON RFD ED MB BS FRCS FRCS(Ed) FRACS

1924-2005

Charles Graham Wilson was born in Adelaide on 3rd April 1924. His parents were Thomas George Wilson (later Sir George) and Elsa May nee Cuzens. His father, a surgeon and an obstetrician and gynaecologist, had been born in Armidale, NSW, and had served with No 1 Australian Stationary Hospital and, later, as OC Troops on AHS Karoola, during WW1. His mother also served in WW1, as a nurse, with 1AGH. Wilson was educated at the Queen’s School in North Adelaide, he boarded at Geelong Grammar preparatory school and returned to the senior school at St Peter’s College in Adelaide. He graduated MB BS at the University of Adelaide in 1947 and spent 15 months as a resident medical officer at the RAH. Wilson had a younger brother, David George, who was born on 27th March 1927, who became a diplomat; his last diplomatic posting was as the Australian Ambassador to Spain.

Wilson enlisted in the RAAMC and on completion of his residency was posted to BCOF in Japan, from 1948-1949. Wilson was a keen golfer throughout his life and, whilst in Japan, he played with the All Services Defence Forces golf team against the US Forces. Colonel Don Beard describes Wilson as ’performing creditably’ in this tournament implying that he did not win but certainly did not disgrace himself. His military career continued in the CMF, after his return from postgraduate training, in 1954. He was the leader of the South Australian civilian surgical team, in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, for 3 months, in 1967. This was followed by a posting to 1 Aust Fd Hosp, at Vung Tau, South Vietnam as a general surgeon, in 1969, for three months.

He remained in the RAAMC Reserve as Consulting General Surgeon to Central Command from 1969-1979. He was issued the Australian Active Service Medal (Japan), the Australian Active Service Medal (Vietnam), Vietnam Medal and awarded the Reserve Force Decoration and the Efficiency Decoration.

Wilson returned from Japan, in 1949, and spent a further year as a resident medical officer at the ACH before embarking for England, in 1950, where he was to spend the next three years. He married Lois Penelope ‘Penny’ Fox, also from Adelaide, in London on 6th September 1951 and they were to have three children. He worked at the Postgraduate Medical School of London and the Kingston General Hospital and was admitted, in 1953, to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) and the Royal College of Surgeons (England).

He returned to Adelaide in 1954 to appointments as registrar and senior registrar in surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He was admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in 1954.   He was appointed to the honorary surgical staff at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, initially as an honorary assistant surgeon (1959) and later as an honorary surgeon (1969) and when the titles changed in 1970, senior visiting surgeon.

He served as senior visiting surgeon until 1988 and was the head of the general surgery unit from 1970-1984, which later became the Hepato-Biliary & Pancreas Surgery Unit. He was Emeritus Surgeon at the Royal Adelaide Hospital from 1988 until his death in 2005. During his medical career Wilson served as Chairman of the SA State Committee of the RACS from 1973-1974, co-ordinator of surgical training in SA 1975-1980, member of the Court of Examiners RACS 1978-1985, chairman of the RAH Medical Staff Society 1985-1986 and member of the Board of Management, RAH, 1987-1988. He was a life member of the Australian Medical Association and chairman of the SA Committee of the Menzies Foundation from 1980-1985. Wilson continued his love of golf and became captain and later president of the Royal Adelaide Golf Club and president of the Senior Golfers Society of Australia 1996-1997. He was president of the Adelaide Club in 1995. Charles Graham Wilson died in Adelaide at home on 15th August 2005 survived by his wife Penny, and his daughters; Susan Penelope (now Lloyd), and Philippa Ann (now Michelmore), and his son Thomas Graham Wilson, who like his father and grandfather, is a surgeon and a third generation Fellow of the RACS.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears II: Medical Practitioners of South Australia on Active Service After World War 2 to Vietnam 1945-1975.

Summers, Swain, Jelly, Verco

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD