Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

SHEPHERD David Wickham MB BS

1908 –1990

David Wickham Shepherd was born on 21st April 1908, in Adelaide, SÁ. He was the son of Emanuel Stuart Lidgett Shepherd and Margaret Ann, nee Lush. His uncle, Colonel Arthur Edmund Shepherd CBE DSO VD was a distinguished South Australian WW1 medical officer. Shepherd was educated at St Peter’s College and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1938.  He completed his resident year at the RAH in 1939 and became a clinical assistant at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (ACH) until 1940, where he met his future wife. Shepherd married Gwendoline Hope Fullarton, on 5th December 1940 at St Peter’s College Chapel.  She was an accomplished equestrian and nurse at the ACH. She was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Arthur A Fullarton of Prospect; her father had died before their wedding.  They were to have three children a son John, a medical practitioner who served in Vietnam and two daughters.

Shepherd joined the AAMC, serving in 3 FdAmb and 6 Cav FdAmb, prior to commencing full-time duty on 26th December 1940.  He named his wife Gwen as next of kin and they were living in King William Road, North Adelaide. He started on full-time duties at Woodside Camp Hospital. He was then appointed RMO to 18th LH Regt on 17th March 1941 and the RMO to 48th Bn 17th June 1941; followed by a transfer to the Camp Hospital at Wayville and then HQ Loveday camp, in December 1941. He had remained in South Australia for this first year of service before being promoted major, in May 1942, and transferring to the 2/AIF on 1st June 1942. He was promoted to major on 1st September 1942. He had several short postings including, 52, 34, and 46 Camp Hospitals, until he embarked from Townsville, QLD, on the Katoomba for Port Moresby, PNG, on 17th April 1943, and appointed to 128 AGH. He was detached 2/5th AGH from October to 15th December 1943. He was then attached to 106 CCS and 110 CCS until February 1944 and finally detached to 2/7th AGH for the rest of his service in PNG. He was admitted briefly to 2/7th AGH, in March 1944, with a short illness. Shepherd returned to Townsville, Australia, on 7th August 1944, and his appointment was terminated on 29th September 1944, and he was placed on the Reserve of Officers, SA. 

Following the war, Shepherd worked at the RAH from 1945 until 1947.  He took up general medical practice and had a practice in Hawker, SA in 1951, and became the certifying officer for the Workers Compensation Act from 1954 to 1963. He moved to Coromandel Valley, SA, where he continued with a general medical practice. He also undertook general medical practice at Keswick Army Barracks into the 1960s. David Wickham Shepherd died on 10th February 1990. He was survived by his wife Gwen, who died in May 2008, and his son, Jack, a medical officer, who served in Vietnam and his two daughters.

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