Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Hugh Matheson Douglas was born on 23rd August 1924, in Adelaide. He was the son of Keith Matheson Douglas, a bank manager, and Thelma Constance, nee Robin. His father previously worked for the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company in Labuan, a Malaysian island near Borneo, before he enlisted in the Army at the beginning of WW1 He served with a signals unit throughout the campaigns in Gallipoli and France. Douglas spent most of his childhood living in a bungalow bordering on the grounds of the Waite Institute in Adelaide’s southern suburbs. This provided ample space for roaming and playing games. He had one brother Donald, who served in the RAAF in New Guinea in WW2 and was Mentioned in Despatches, and two sisters, Christine and Susan. He was educated at St Peter’s College, where he was captain of Cricket in 1941, and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide where he graduated MB BS in 1947.

Douglas had been in the St Peter’s College Cadet Corps while at school and recalls that it was with pride that he had his father’s three stripes sewn onto his uniform when he passed his sergeant’s tests. He enlisted in the RAAF towards the end of his first year at university, in 1942, and was accepted for aircrew training at Mt Breckan, Victor Harbor. His training was abruptly terminated after four weeks by an Adelaide based manpower committee who directed that Douglas was to resume his medical course. He recalls, being deeply disappointed when his desire to do his duty for the war effort was frustrated.  Later he reluctantly came to realize that he had no alternative but to resume his medical training which he completed, with 46 others, in 1947. Towards the end of his residency year at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, after a meeting with Major-General Kingsley Norris, Director-General of Army Medical Services, he was encouraged to join a group of young graduates to serve in BCOF in Japan in 1949.  Douglas enlisted in the AAMC on 31th December 1948. He was based at 130 AGH in Kure, Japan for the duration of his posting. He was given the job of keeping in touch with the local health officials and also carrying on with the duties of the optometrist who had returned to Australia early in the year. He was issued with the Australian Service Medal 1946-1975.

Douglas returned to Adelaide in 1950 where he took a resident medical officer position at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. It was here that his interest in paediatrics developed. He then travelled to England, in 1951, for further training, and while in London was fortunate to obtain an internship in the paediatric unit of the Hammersmith Hospital. Returning to Adelaide, in 1953, he married Sina Kidd in Renmark, South Australia; they were to have three children, Ann, Hugh and Jane; one of his daughters is a social worker. He became the Assistant Medical Superintendent at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital, followed by Medical Superintendent from 1953 until 1958. He became a member of the RACP in 1963, and in the same year an assistant physician on the staff of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.  He was appointed to the role of senior physician, and on his resignation from the hospital, in 1986, the Board of the hospital awarded Douglas with the tile of emeritus Physician in recognition of his outstanding service. He was a civilian member of the first medical team from Adelaide, led by Dr Mervyn Smith, to staff the Bien Hoa Hospital in Vietnam from April to June 1967. He was a Consultant Physician at the Hamilton Base Hospital, Victoria, from 1986 until 1996. When contemplating his experiences, Douglas considers himself especially privileged to have taken part in the advances in Paediatrics in Adelaide following the end of WW2. These included new laboratories and teaching services, the upgrading of facilities for both outpatients and inpatients’. He reflects that Australia is fortunate to have so many paediatric centres of world-class standard.  His experiences in Vietnam made a deep impression on him of the friendliness and resilience of the people in spite of years of war and insecurity. In addition, he developed much goodwill for the people of Japan although the BCOF policy of non-fraternization limited contact. He suggests that our participation in the affairs of these two countries will create long-standing harmonious relationships. Hugh Matheson Douglas is now retired and living with his wife in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs.

Hugh Matheson Douglas was born on 23rd August 1924, in Adelaide. He was the son of Keith Matheson Douglas, a bank manager, and Thelma Constance, nee Robin. His father previously worked for the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company in Labuan, a Malaysian island near Borneo, before he enlisted in the Army at the beginning of WW1 He served with a signals unit throughout the campaigns in Gallipoli and France. Douglas spent most of his childhood living in a bungalow bordering on the grounds of the Waite Institute in Adelaide’s southern suburbs. This provided ample space for roaming and playing games. He had one brother Donald, who served in the RAAF in New Guinea in WW2 and was Mentioned in Despatches, and two sisters, Christine and Susan. He was educated at St Peter’s College, where he was captain of Cricket in 1941, and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide where he graduated MB BS in 1947.

Douglas had been in the St Peter’s College Cadet Corps while at school and recalls that it was with pride that he had his father’s three stripes sewn onto his uniform when he passed his sergeant’s tests. He enlisted in the RAAF towards the end of his first year at university, in 1942, and was accepted for aircrew training at Mt Breckan, Victor Harbor. His training was abruptly terminated after four weeks by an Adelaide based manpower committee who directed that Douglas was to resume his medical course. He recalls, being deeply disappointed when his desire to do his duty for the war effort was frustrated.  Later he reluctantly came to realize that he had no alternative but to resume his medical training which he completed, with 46 others, in 1947. Towards the end of his residency year at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, after a meeting with Major-General Kingsley Norris, Director-General of Army Medical Services, he was encouraged to join a group of young graduates to serve in BCOF in Japan in 1949.  Douglas enlisted in the AAMC on 31th December 1948. He was based at 130 AGH in Kure, Japan for the duration of his posting. He was given the job of keeping in touch with the local health officials and also carrying on with the duties of the optometrist who had returned to Australia early in the year. He was issued with the Australian Service Medal 1946-1975.

Douglas returned to Adelaide in 1950 where he took a resident medical officer position at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. It was here that his interest in paediatrics developed. He then travelled to England, in 1951, for further training, and while in London was fortunate to obtain an internship in the paediatric unit of the Hammersmith Hospital. Returning to Adelaide, in 1953, he married Sina Kidd in Renmark, South Australia; they were to have three children, Ann, Hugh and Jane; one of his daughters is a social worker. He became the Assistant Medical Superintendent at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital, followed by Medical Superintendent from 1953 until 1958. He became a member of the RACP in 1963, and in the same year an assistant physician on the staff of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.  He was appointed to the role of senior physician, and on his resignation from the hospital, in 1986, the Board of the hospital awarded Douglas with the tile of emeritus Physician in recognition of his outstanding service. He was a civilian member of the first medical team from Adelaide, led by Dr Mervyn Smith, to staff the Bien Hoa Hospital in Vietnam from April to June 1967. He was a Consultant Physician at the Hamilton Base Hospital, Victoria, from 1986 until 1996. When contemplating his experiences, Douglas considers himself especially privileged to have taken part in the advances in Paediatrics in Adelaide following the end of WW2. These included new laboratories and teaching services, the upgrading of facilities for both outpatients and inpatients’. He reflects that Australia is fortunate to have so many paediatric centres of world-class standard.  His experiences in Vietnam made a deep impression on him of the friendliness and resilience of the people in spite of years of war and insecurity. In addition, he developed much goodwill for the people of Japan although the BCOF policy of non-fraternization limited contact. He suggests that our participation in the affairs of these two countries will create long-standing harmonious relationships. Hugh Matheson Douglas died in May 2019.