Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

GURNER Colin Marshall CBE AO OstJ ED MB BS DABR FRACR FRACMA FRACP FRACS FRCR Hons

1919 – 2006

Colin Marshall Gurner was born in Adelaide on 26th December 1919. He was the eldest of two sons of Colin and Jessie Gurner.  His father, a radiologist, served in WW1 and WW2. Colin Marshall Gurner was educated at Prince Alfred College.  He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, where he gained blues in football and cricket and graduated MB BS in 1942. During his university years he served in the CMF from 1939. Gurner, after completion of his resident year at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), he enlisted in the Army on 7th December 1942, as a Captain.  He served in several military hospitals in Australia and New Guinea   during WW2, including 101AGH at Daw Park where his father was a radiologist. He remained in the CMF after the end of WW2 but took up his civilian medical profession, training as a radiologist at the RAH. He obtained his Royal Australian College of Physician’s membership in 1950.  This was followed by a year as a Fellow in radiation Therapy at the Memorial Cancer Centre, New York to obtain his Diploma of the American Board of radiology (Radiation Therapy) Gurner then returned to Adelaide and became a junior partner in the radiology practice of his father and Victor Stanley Verco. During this time he had honorary appointment at the RAH and the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (ACH). He continued his career simultaneously in the CMF, rising to the rank of Colonel.

Gurner was approached to join the regular army as Deputy Director General Medical Services (DDGMS), in 1960, following the retirement of the DGMS Major General William Refshauge.  Gurner accepted the offer and was promoted to Brigadier in 1961.   This was followed by promotion to Major General, in 1967, and appointment as DGMS. He moved to Canberra and made regular trips to Singapore, Malaysia, New Guinea and five visits to Vietnam visiting troops as head of the RAAMC. During his service he concentrated on malarial control, the evacuation of wounded personnel and the effects of chemical, biological and radioactive weapons. He also promoted successfully the value of part-time medical specialist to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) He was appointed as physician to the Queen in 1967 and Commander of the British Empire (CBE), in 1969, in recognition to the contribution of his leadership of the RAAMC in Vietnam.  He was President of the Royal Australian College of Radiologists, in 1971.  He was appointed the first Surgeon General of the ADF, in 1977, and an Officer in the Order of Australia in 1978. He was compulsory retired from the ADF, in 1979, on reaching 60 years of age.

Following his retirement Gurner remained in Canberra and became the Director of the Australian Kidney Foundation.  He returned to radiology and worked in the ACT health department and private practice.  He was chairman of the ACT medical board from 1979 to 1984. He continued to enjoy sport and outdoor activities and completed a diploma in journalism. Then his was in his seventies he published a paper entitled The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, 1945-1975 in 2003. Among many other awards he received Honorary Fellowships from the Royal College of Radiologists (London), Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, He delivered the Rupert Downes Memorial Lecture in 1979. He was a Knight in the Order of St John of Jerusalem. Colin Marshall Gurner died on 19th July 2006. He was survived by his wife Cynthia, nee Miller, a physiotherapist, and his three children, five grand-children and one great grandson.