Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

HILLIER Terrence Mark MB BS FRACS FAOrthA

1943 –

Terrence ‘Terry’ Mark Hillier was born in Adelaide on 20th December 1943.  He is the son of Alec Hillier, a teacher, and Doris, nee Morris. His father began his teaching in Bookabie, out on the edge of the Nullarbor Plain, before enlisting in the RAAF to serve as a navigator, in Liberator bombers over Borneo, in WW2. After his father’s return from the war, he resumed his teaching career and Hillier grew up in small country towns, including Taplin, near Loxton, and in Finniss, close to Strathalbyn in the Adelaide hills. His father was his teacher in his first four years of schooling, followed by two years at Aldgate primary school and then Pulteney Grammar School for his secondary education.  He and his family lived in Aldgate during the rest of his school and university years. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, commencing in 1961. Whilst at university, he joined AUR with a medical student friend from Pulteney Grammar School.  This enabled him to apply for an undergraduate scholarship with the Army on successful completion of third year medicine. He graduated MB BS, in 1967, and undertook his residency at TQEH in 1968. He married a fellow medical student Virginia Hains in the same year.  They were to have four children.

Hillier was posted to 3 Camp Hospital, Puckapunyal at the end of 1968, to undertake his obligatory return of military service. However, before he could commence the posting he was sent to Healesville, for six weeks, for an officer training course.  The officer training had been introduced after a medical officer in South Vietnam was wounded under fire. This incident led to the Minister of Defence, Mr Andrew Peacock, promising that all medical and dental officers were to be “battle trained”.  Hillier recalls that his time in the AUR and the training at Healesville, not only contributed to his fitness and bonding with other officers but was significantly helpful when he was thrust into an infantry battalion shortly after arriving in Vietnam.  Towards the end of his officer training he volunteered to go to Vietnam with another medical officer, Hugh Roberton. They had two weeks intensive preparation before leaving for South Vietnam, on 7th May 1969.  He was posted as a junior surgical registrar to 1 Aust FdHosp, in which he had a dramatic introduction to the reality of military trauma. He maintains that like a significant number of his ‘fellow medicos’ it set him on a path to a surgical specialisation, in particular, orthopaedic surgery. After being at 1 Aust FdHosp for two months one of the newly arrived battalions, 6 RAR/NZ (3rd ANZAC) had its first experience of sustaining minefield casualties. This particular day is immortalised in the song I was only nineteen, written by John Schumann and sung by the renowned Australian group, Redgum. One of the battalion’s platoons, on 20th July 1969 had halted for a rest and its lieutenant, Peter Hines, had inadvertently placed his pack on a jumping jack mine.  Having heard that Neil Armstrong had stepped on the moon, he walked around his platoon members to pass on that news.  On retrieving his pack, the mine was triggered causing both his death, the death of other troops and producing several other injured soldiers.  Whist Hillier and his colleagues were dealing with the injured soldiers at 1 Aust FdHosp, they received the news that 6th Bn’s medical officer, Captain Trevor Anderson, had been badly injured. He had triggered another mine while he was dealing with the injured at the site of the initial mine explosion. This incident saw Hillier posted the following day, for a rapid introduction to the realities of forward operations, to an active battalion. Captain Bruce Perks who was just about to go back to Australia, temporarily covered 6RAR’s fire support base until Hillier arrived. On the day of joining the Bn, it had two further incursions into minefields with further significant casualties. He was dropped by helicopter into the minefields with no chance for the Bn to work with him and ensure that he did not get injured like the previous RMO. Hillier remained with 6 RAR/NZ until it was time for his return to Australia, which was effected on 12th May 1970. He was issued the Australian Active Services Medal 1945-1975 (clasp Vietnam), the General Service Medal 1962 (clasp Vietnam), Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 (clasp PNG), the National Medal, and the Australian Defence Medal. Subsequently Colonel Peter Cosgrove, now Governor General ofAustralia, confirmed that he should wear the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

His next posting was intended to be at Changi Hospital, Singapore, but a vacancy arose for a SMO at the Joint Service Medical Centre, Canberra, which he filled. Here he studied for his surgical primary and was introduced to the ‘intrigue of politics’ and brought him in close proximity to RAAMC headquarters, consisting of Major General Colin Gurner and his staff officers. Major General Colin Gurner convinced Hillier to extend his commission with the purpose of continuing orthopaedics in the Army, particularly with the aim of holding onto his experiences of military trauma learnt in Vietnam. With the Army’s sponsorship he travelled back to Adelaide, in 1971, and enrolled in the RAH orthopaedic training programme. This was followed by taking up a fellowship in the Harvard orthopaedic service, in the United States, from 1976 until 1977. Hillier had expected to re-enter army service as an orthopaedic surgeon in Australia, on completion of his fellowship. However, he was posted to PNG as the Director of Health Services on detachment to the PNG Defence Force; very much an administrative role.  With the grace of the surgeons in Port Moresby and with the benign tolerance from his PNGDF commander, Brigadier Ted Diro, he was able to work regularly as an orthopaedic surgeon. This exposed him to the challenges of third world orthopaedics. He also established an interesting rapport with the PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare, and occasionally travelled with him overseas as an unofficial advisor. 

Following his time in PNG Hillier felt that it was time for him to reconnect with Australian orthopaedic practice. With the approval of the Military Secretary and the DGAHS, Major General ‘Digger’ James, he completed his regular Army service in 1979. Major General James invited him to remain connected with the Regular Army in his Special Reserve Unit and Hillier was delighted with this opportunity to continue association with the ARA. He commenced orthopaedic practice back in Adelaide as a visiting consultant at the RAH for a short time and then at the ACH. Hillier established a private practice in the Memorial Hospital as it was close to the ACH.  Whilst he was in Canberra he had appreciated the country around Albury in NSW. He considered it a good place to live and moved his private practice from Adelaide to Albury, when he had completed his time at the ACH. Terry Mark Hillier continues to work and live in NSW, where he remarried and had two further boys which sees him with six children in all and nine grandchildren so far.

Sources

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. Open Book Howden, Adelaide 2016

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD