Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Published Biography

“Blood, Sweat and Fears” ISBN: 978-0-64692-750-3 Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australia who served in WW1; C Verco, A Summers, T Swain & M Jelly. July 2014

Additional Biography

Early Life

Laurence Algernon (Laurie) Wilson was born on the 3rd of September 1896, the elder son of Algernon Theodore King Wilson and Lillian Charlotte Laurence at Norwood, South Australia (SA Birth Registration 589/447). His Grandfather Charles Algernon Wilson (1818 - 1884) had arrived in South Australia in April 1838 on board the Duke of Roxburgh.

Laurie’s father was a solicitor and a partner in the firm Wilson and Genders.

His younger brother Keith Cameron Wilson (later a solicitor and politician) was born on Laurie’s fourth birthday, 3rd September 1900.

Schooling

Laurie attended St Peter’s College, Adelaide and he passed his Primary examinations in October 1909, Senior Examinations in 1911 and 1912 and Higher Public Examinations in 1913. While at St Peter’s College, Laurie was a Senior Cadet for four years.

Adelaide University

Laurie passed Compulsory Biology at Adelaide University in November 1913 and commenced studying medicine full time at Adelaide University in 1914. Laurie graduated MB BS in 1918.

University Sport

Cricket
Laurie played cricket for Adelaide University in the 1915/16 season, playing most of his games in B Grade. He did however play an A Grade Game, when after being initially named as an emergency, he replaced C.E. "Nip" Pellew. Pellew was originally named, but after having enlisted in the AIF in June 1915 and still based in South Australia, was possibly unable to get leave from the army camp.

Rifle Club
Laurie was a member of the Adelaide University Rifle Club and represented the University regularly at shooting matches in 1914 and 1915.

Lacrosse
Laurie played lacrosse for Adelaide University in 1914 (C Grade), 1915 (B Grade). In 1916, senior lacrosse matches were suspended due to WWI. When senior lacrosse recommenced in 1919, Laurie represented the Adelaide University in A Grade and represented Adelaide University in the 1919 Intervarsity match against Melbourne University. While Adelaide was defeated in this match, Laurie was among the best players.

World War I
Laurie enlisted for WWI on the 18th of June 1918, while still in his fifth year of medical studies. He was 21 years 9 months of age. Laurie completed 50 days of home-service; he did not serve overseas due to hostilities ceasing on the 11th of November 1918. Laurie was appointed a Captain on the 25th of November 1918 and was discharged on the 1st of February 1919.

Career and Family Life

Laurie was appointed a resident medical officer at Adelaide Hospital from the 1st of February 1919. He was an applicant for the 1920 Rhodes Scholarship which was won by Howard Florey. From at least April 1920, Laurie was practicing medicine at Kadina, Yorke Peninsula, SA with his uncle Dr C.E.C. Wilson. At Kadina, Laurie’s main sport was golf. He was second in the B Grade Championships at the Kadina Golf Club in 1920, losing in a playoff. He was at Kadina until at least October 1920.

Laurie then went overseas to study and may have returned to Australia onboard the Esperance Bay, which departed from London, England on the 1st of August 1922, however the entry on the passenger list appears to have been struck out. Laurie was back in Australia before January 1923.

In January 1923, Laurie was practicing at the Yorketown Hospital on Yorke Peninsula and in February 1923, he was relieving Dr J. “Ian” McNeill at Pinnaroo.

In September 1923, Laurie was practicing at Woodside and was appointed as a health officer for the district of Onkaparinga, SA. In 1924, he was a vice-president of the Hills Association (football), Honorary Surgeon of the Woodside Racing Club and on the committee for the Woodside Show.

On the 30th of August 1924, Laurie married Nance Mildred Lamphee, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phill Lamphee, at St Peter’s College Chapel.

By June 1925, Laurie had a practice at Gawler Chambers, North Terrace, Adelaide. Sadly, Laurie and Keith’s father, A.T.K. Wilson, passed away suddenly in August 1925.

Laurie and Nance’s first child, a son, John Grenell Wilson, was born in 1926.

In 1927, Laurie was chairman of the SA branch of the Royal British Nurses’ Association and by 1927, he had a surgery on Unley Road.

Laurie and Nance’s second child, a daughter, Rosemary Nance Wilson was born in 1928.

By December 1929, Laurie was a member of the Board of management of the Children’s Hospital.

Laurie played in the Doctors’ golf tournament in 1930 and was a member at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club from at least 1931.

In February 1931 Laurie attended the fifth annual general meeting of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in Melbourne. He was admitted as a Fellow of the RACS in February 1932.

In March 1933, Laurie played cricket for the Children’s Hospital in their annual match against the Adelaide Hospital.

Laurie and Nance’s second son, Laurence Leigh (Leigh) Wilson, was born in about 1933.

From 1937, Laurie was a clinical lecturer in the surgical diseases of children at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Adelaide. From 1938, Laurie was on the honorary medical staff of the Children’s Hospital and in November 1938, he became Chairman of the honorary medical staff at the Children’s Hospital.

In April 1938, Laurence’s motor car was destroyed in a fire at Brighton.

He was appointed the British Medical Association representative on the Nurses’ Registration Board in 1939.

World War II

In November 1939, Laurie was restored to the rank of Honorary Captain in the Australian Army Medical Corp and he attended at camp for 19 days during April and May 1940.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6342001

On the 11th of December 1941, Laurie enlisted (SN S36456). He was 44½ years old, 6’ tall and 196 lbs. His wife, Nance, was his next-of-kin. The couple were living at 287 Unley Road, Malvern. On the 4th of September 1941, Laurie was appointed as a Temporary Major. His promotion to Major was confirmed on the 1st of September 1942.

On the 9th of September 194,2 he was called up for full time duty at the 101 AGH (Australian General Hospital -Adelaide). On the 17th of August 1943, he entrained for the Northern Territory Line of Communication Area. As a result of his transfer interstate, Laurie’s position on the Nurses’ Board was taken by Dr. A.B.Russell.

In March 1944, he was detached to the 129 AGH (Australian General Hospital – Darwin), Darwin Hospital which had been taken over by the military after the Japanese bombing in 1942.

In January 1945, Laurie was transferred to the 110 Military Hospital - Perth. He was then transferred to the 118 AGH (118 Australian General Hospital - Northam, WA) in March 1945 and to the 101 AGH (Australian General Hospital – Northfield, SA) in May 1945. The 101 AGH, originally formed at Woodside, SA, had relocated to Katherine, NT during 1943 and relocated to Northfield, SA in November 1944 at the Morris Hospital (a former infectious diseases hospital) and was retained as a military hospital until 1948. Laurie was discharged on the 19th of September 1945 and taken on the Reserve of Officers List on the 20th of September 1945. Laurie continued to undertake medical duties for the AAMC on medical boards at various times until October 1946.

Post WWII
In November 1946, Laurie was appointed a lecturer in surgical diseases of children with the Division of Surgical Studies, Adelaide University.

Laurie and Nance moved to Commercial Road, Hyde Park in September 1951.

In June 1952 Laurie and Nance commenced a cruise on the Kanimba, however the ship had engine problems and the couple returned from Brisbane by air.

Laurie and Nance’s daughter, Rosemary, attended Walford House School and Woodlands Girls’ School. She qualified as a nurse in 1950. In 1951, she went to England and travelled in the Scandinavian countries. She arrived back in Adelaide in January 1952 after nine months overseas. In May 1954, she moved to Perth, WA to continue nursing at the Royal Perth Hospital. She planned to be in WA for six months and then returned to Adelaide in December 1954.

John Grenell Wilson and Laurence Leigh Wilson both attended St Peter’s College and Adelaide University and gained their MB BS in 1949 and 1956 respectively. John married Yvette Kay, the daughter of Mrs. and the late Rev. L.G. Kay in August 1953. John went on to practice at Renmark in December 1953.

Laurie and Nance left Australia from Sydney in 1959 onboard the Orion which arrived in London, England on the 5th of July 1959. The couple arrived back in Fremantle, Australia on the 25th of September 1959 on Qantas Empire Airways Em 534/185 from Rome, Italy. The couple’s address in Adelaide was 35 Commercial Road, Hyde Park.

As most South Australian newspapers are only available digitally until December 1954, no further details on Laurie’s and Nance’s lives are known until their deaths.

Death

Nance Mildred Wilson passed away on the 1st of October 1988, aged 87 years. She had been a resident of Walkerville prior to her death. She was buried at Enfield Memorial Park, Adelaide.

Laurence Algernon Wilson passed away on the 24th of July 1989, aged 93 and was buried with Nance in the family plot at Enfield Memorial Park, Adelaide.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.