Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Albert Amos and Laura C SARGENT

The first child was born at Rhynie, South Australia, on the 8th July, 1893.

On leaving school he worked for the Savings Bank of South Australia. 

An article in the Advertiser dated the 5th January, 1914, reads as follows.

“Mr. Rex Sargent his sister, and Mr. Williams and his sister, had an unpleasant experience on Wednesday night.   They went in a motor boat to Mt Ferguson, near Port Pirie, and on the return trip the launch suddenly refused to move.   After vainly attempting to find the cause of the stoppage, the party decided to anchor off an island, and wait until someone came to their assistance.   The parents of the stranded party became alarmed, as they did not return, and at about 4.00 o’clock on Thursday morning began to make enquiries.   Later on, Messrs V Halason, O. Burt, and the Rev. J. C. Hughes, secured a boat and went in search of the missing party, and picked them up shortly before 9.00 o’clock.   The stoppage of the launch had occurred through water getting into the cylinder of the engine.   This was soon remedied, and the occupants of the boat were brought home none the worse for their adventure.”

On the 7th June 1914 in Adelaide, Rex passed a St. John’s Ambulance Association examination in elementary first aid.

On the 16th September he was initiated into the Prince of Wales Lodge at Mt. Barker, South Australia, his occupation being Bank Clerk.

He enlisted for the First World War on the 12th February, 1917 as a Private.   During his war service he rose to the rank of Sergeant.   He embarked from Melbourne on the 11th September, 1917 aboard M S Karoola, and most of his active service was aboard this ship.  

During his time aboard the Karoola Rex kept a diary, and I quote just a few of his entries.

“November 27th:  Still rough at sea.  Patient in E3, heart very bad as a consequence of gas at the front.  Died at 6-00 PM.   Patient buried at sea at 1-00 AM.  Last post sounded.  Engines stopped.  Very impressive.    Poor fellow now lying beneath the billows of Atlantic after nearly reaching home.”      

“December 1st:  Poor old Private Daniels pretty low and not expected to last very long.  Had four sons at front, were all together.  Two killed.  He stayed on with remainder until obliged to leave.   December 7th; Poor old Daniels died 8-57 PM.  Much missed during night on duty.  Most patient man and easily satisfied, and of no trouble.”

“December 17th:  Arrived off, and anchored in Cape Town Bay, 8-00 PM, just too late to get in.  Davies (ammunition worker) died 10-00 PM.  His suffering from malignant growth on the bottom jaw being terrible.   His end is considered a happy relief.   December 18th:  Davies body taken ashore to be buried in Rhonesbusch Cemetery.   Intend having a look at it next visit.  Poor old chap’s wish before leaving England that he did not want to be buried at sea.”

“December 31st:  Our poor old Gunner Swanson, my favorite patient, died 7-15 PM.   Absolutely the bravest man I met to bear up with suffering.  Fine big fellow, blacksmith by trade from N.   His manliness gained the respect of other patients.”

Out from Bombay, in March 1919, there is a note of humor in one of his letters home.

“There had been continuous guard over 210 cases of apples we had taken on board at Fremantle.  It was my turn with two others to go on the bridge where they were stacked to look after them.   This was brought about by the theft of a few while at sea, but I’ll guarantee more disappeared since we took charge of them, than the entire trip put together, not having tasted one since leaving Australia.”

Rex completed three major trips to and from Australia to England.    The mission was to pick up English and Australian soldiers delivering the English to England, and the Australians to Australia.    He also completed three and a half trips to Africa on both sides of the continent.  In all, he visited twenty major cities, some on several occasions.   The main cities he visited were in Africa, India and England.    He was discharged from war service on the 14th July, 1919.    During his service he spent one year and 288 days abroad.    During his visits to England, he visited the Sargent farm in Cornwall, and made some brief notes on the family tree.   These were very basic, and only included the male line. 

His Majesty’s Australian Hospital ship “Karoola” was converted in England to a fully equipped hospital ship with beds for 463 patients.  The Karoola spent three years transporting sick and wounded between England and Australia.

These “floating hospitals” were painted with a huge red cross in accord with the Geneva Convention which promised immunity from submarines, as long as they did not carry arms, ammunition or combat troops.

On returning to Adelaide, aged 28, he studied Medicine.     To do this he was required to complete a Senior Public Examination in English, Arithmetic, Algebra, Latin and French.  He passed these in 1920 and 1921.   On the 19th March, 1924, he was admitted as a matriculated student into the University of Adelaide to study for a Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery.    On the 11th December, 1929, he completed his degree in the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery.   To finance his studies he took part time jobs, which were few and far between due to depression years.

On the 17th May, 1933 he received a Registration Certificate from the Medical Board of Western Australia

On the 1st May, 1935 Rex was declared as a Legally Qualified Medical Practitioner by the New South Wales Medical Board.

After graduating, Rex spent time working as a Medical Superintendent in the Fremantle Hospital.   He also worked at the Glenside Mental Asylum in South Australia.  My first memory of him was at Barmera.    He was well thought of in this district, having to attend all types of sickness and injury.   One story that I know to be true was that he delivered twin girls on the kitchen table.   I have met one of these twins, Julie Burdett, who was then living at Naracoorte.   Her sister is named Jennifer Rexene.   Their maiden name was McRae.

In late 1935 Rex took over the solo medical practice in Barmera, and served the district until 1951.  For most of those years he was the only resident doctor in Barmera.   With the lack of ambulance and regional services in the country areas at that time, he became well known for his capacity to handle emergency situations, often requiring surgery, now only performed by specialists.

At the time of his arrival at Barmera, he was not only the sole practicing Doctor, but also the Medical Superintendent of the then Lady Weigall Hospital, a fully owned and operated Government institution.   The hospital had been closed down earlier in that year because of an outbreak of septicemia, resulting in some deaths.    Rex vowed on coming to Barmera “to clean the place up”.  

On the 21st of October 1940 Rex was appointed as an Honorary Captain in the Australian Army Medical Reserve of Officers List.

On the 24th March, 1941 he enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps with the rank of Lieutenant, his locality on enlisting being Barmera, and his place of enlistment being Wayville.   He was attached to the Loveday Internment Camps, working particularly at the internee wing attached to the Barmera Hospital.  During this time he continued his private medical practice.

Rex was also a member of the investigating committee to establish the Glossop High School, and as a result became an inaugural member of the High School Council in 1941.   The Head Master at the school was Mr. Wybert Symonds.  On leaving Glossop High School Mr. Symonds became Head Master at Adelaide High School, and held this position when my cousin Kevin and I attended this school.  I can recall on enlisting, him asking us both if were related to Dr. Sargent.  On being told that he was our uncle, he expected big things from us both.  I am afraid we were a great disappointment to him.

Today a reserve next to Lake Bonney is named “Sargent Park”.   This was proclaimed in the 1990’s, and was directly as a result of the many letters and encouragement from former patients who remembered him well. 

On the 25th Sept., 1948, Rex married Aileen Adelaide Besley at his parent’s home 141 Swaine Ave, Toorak Gds.   He was 55 years old, and Aileen was 44.  Neither had been married before.   They obviously met at Barmera where Rex was serving as the Medical Superintendent, and Aileen as the Matron of the local hospital.

On leaving Barmera, Rex was appointed Medical Officer to the Northfield Polio Rehabilitation Centre on Hampstead Rd.    Most Doctors found this too difficult a job seeing the crippling affects of the polio epidemic.   Rex had seen much worse than this working as an orderly on the hospital ships.

Rex finished his medical service examining primary school children.   This was a retirement job, and one he really enjoyed.

Rex was well thought of by so many people, but like many people he had another side.   My sisters have on many occasions talked about being very scared of Uncle Rex as he used to pinch them on the bottom.   My mother Florence Jean also spoke of him pinching her bottom when she was heavily pregnant.    I remember this so well.   Perhaps this was acceptable in the 1950s but it is certainly not acceptable now.    It is true that Rex saw so many hardships and tragedies both during the First World War, and during his time practicing medicine.    My sisters and I thought he was a hard man.  Although, as previously said, others looked up to him.   We found him gruff and difficult. 

I do recall though, at the age of about 15, having a series of boils, which caused me much discomfort.    At the time we lived at 101 Grant Ave, Toorak Gardens, and my father Colin told me to go and see Uncle Rex.    He lived at 14 Burke St, Tusmore, at that time.   I had to ride my bike about one mile to his home.   Uncle Rex said that he had seen much worse than my few boils on the leg, arm, an even in my nostril.    He told me to drop my pants and bend over, and he gave me a penicillin injection.   I was to ride home and come and see him a few days later.   The same treatment was repeated, and I am sure the same blunt needle was used.   The treatment however worked and I recovered from these boils very quickly.

A few days before he died, he was helping a close friend, a former river by the name of Captain Thompson.   They were working on his shack at Swan Reach.   Rex was on a ladder when he suddenly said “I have had a stroke”.   These were his last words.    Mr. Thompson (Captain) on realizing that Rex was ill, and not knowing the extent, laid him on his back, and poured brandy into his throat.   He then put him into the back of his utility (buckboard), and drove him to Angaston Hospital.   Rex died some two to three days later.   It is obvious that Mr. Thompson had no knowledge of first aid, but regardless of the he way he handled the matter, the stroke that Rex had was a very severe one, and it is unlikely that he would have survived even with the best of treatment.   I remember so well receiving the phone call of what had occurred.   My wife, Kath, and I drove my parents Colin and Jean, as well as Aileen, to Angaston so they could spend their last days with him.

Rex James owned a farm property at Myponga.  He employed farm managers to run this property for him, but spent as much time as he could, helping with the running of the property.    Sometime during the 1950’s a deposit of uranium was found on this land.    A lease was taken out on portion of the property, and crews of workers were employed in at least establishing the viability of the find.  The main building established was an iron clad dormitory, including a kitchen, main living area etc.    The workers also established single men’s quarters, which could be described as small huts.    This uranium find proved to of small value.  It was closed down a short time after.   As a result family members made use of the facilities that had been established.

I can recall on one occasion visiting Rex’s widow, Aileen.   She related a story about Rex’s friend Mr. Thompson (Captain).    He was given use of one of these huts for a “getting away from home retreat”.   It was a very isolated area.   Mr. Thompson therefore felt quite at home sunbathing in the nude, believing he would never have any visitors.   On one occasion Aileen and another female friend decided to pay a visit to the Thompson hut.  On getting close they could see him completely naked, and lying on his back sunbathing.    They retreated and made a lot of noise.    On then returning Mr. Thompson appeared from his hut fully dressed.

I have a clear memory of one occasion staying the night in one of the huts described in the previous paragraph.    My cousin Colin Bailey and his very young wife Margaret came to spend time with the family at Rex’s farm.   They arrived late, and we had all eaten.  They sat down for a meal, and instead of what was to be served I caught two sleepy lizards, and put one on each plate.   In placing them in front of Colin and Margaret, the lizards opened their mouths and let out a snarling noise.   Colin jumped back from his chair, but Margaret absolutely froze with terror.   I am sure she still hasn’t forgiven me for doing this to her.

Rex died on the14th June, 1966, and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia.

Author Ronald Colin Sargent OAM