Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

DINNING Trevor Alfred Ridley CMG MB BS FRCS FRACS

1919 – 2003

Trevor Alfred Ridley Dinning was born in Adelaide, on 16th February 1919. He was the son of Alfred Ernest Dinning, the headmaster of Adelaide Boys High School, and Maud Isabel, nee Ridley.  His mother died when he was two years old.  He was educated at Adelaide High School and gained an Archibald Henry Peake bursary to study medicine at the University of Adelaide. Due to WW2 he studied the shortened medical course and graduated, MB BS, in 1942. While at university he achieved a university blue in rifle shooting. He undertook his residency at the RAH in 1942.   

Dinning enlisted as soon as he completed his medical course on 20th April 1942. He was previously serving in the CMF, from January 1940, as a private soldier in 3rd FdAmb. Promoted to captain, he was posted to 105 AMH. He named his father as his next of kin, but this was changed later to his wife, Beatrice Margaret, nee Hay, whom he married on 16th January 1943. She was the daughter of John and Margaret Hay. Dinning remained with 105 AMH until he transferred to 2/AIF and taken on strength to 121 AGH, NT, in January 1943.  He spent two months with 101 AGH before returning to 121 AGH and posted as RMO to the North Australian Observation Unit, NT, in October 1943. He attended the Land HQ AAMC School Medical War Course in December 1943. Following the course, he was posted as RMO to 2/17th Aust Inf Bn, in QLD, on 5th May 1944. He was notified that his daughter was born on 8th November 1944. He remained with 217th Inf Bn until he was evacuated to 105 AMH, in February 1945, with chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, which incapacitated him for two years. His illness caused him to be medically reclassified, and he returned to 4MD and eventually, his appointment was terminated on 2nd July 1946.

Following the war, Dinning took up a position as an RMO to the RGH as well as a lecturer in anatomy at the University of Adelaide, working with neuro-anatomist Professor Andrew Abbie, which encouraged Dinning to make a career in neurosurgery. At the time it was not possible to study as a neurosurgeon in Adelaide, so he gained a grant from the RAH to train in neurosurgery at Guy's Hospital, London, under Mr Murray Falconer. Falconer had been a student of renowned, Adelaide born, and Adelaide High School student, neurosurgeon Sir Hugh Cairns. Dinning gained his FRCS, in 1950 and returned to Adelaide in 1953, to an appointment at the RAH, where he held a variety of clinical and consulting appointments in neurosurgery for the next 30 years. He was also an honorary consulting neurosurgeon to the ACH and the Mareeba Babies Hospital and visiting specialist to the RGH.  Dinning became a member of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia in 1955. He created the Neurosurgical Research Foundation (NRF), in 1964, to raise funds for research into head injury research. He became president of the NRF and was instrumental in building funds for a Chair in Neurosurgery at the University of Adelaide, founded in 1992. Dinning's expertise in neurosurgery and the teaching of neurosurgery was exceptional, and his work led to the foundation of neurosurgical training systems adopted nationally and internationally. He was appointed CMG in 1980 for his service to his profession. Dinning had many other interests outside of his profession, including, photography, farming, stock breeding, beekeeping and sailing. Trevor Alfred Ridley Dinning died on 22nd September 2003, survived by his wife, Beatrice, and three of their four children; Andrew, Anthea, and Nadia. His daughter Josephine predeceased him.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2. 

Swain, Jelly, Verco, Summers. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2019. 

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD