Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

PREST Henry Gordon OStJ MB BS

1899-1989

Henry Gordon Prest was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, on 10th January 1899. He was the son of Henry Prest and Eleanor, nee Clark. His father was a highly regarded businessman in Port Pirie until his death in 1903. Prest was educated at Kyre College and Prince Alfred College where he excelled at sport; captained the First X1 Cricket and First XVIII Football and also School Captain. He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1925. While at university he captained the Adelaide  University A Grade Football and Cricket and was awarded a Double Blue for both sports.  Prest had four years of cadet experience and enlisted in the first AIF, on 7th May 1918, when he was a medical student. He named his mother Eleanor of 9 George Street, Unley Park, South Australia as his next of kin He embarked on HMT Marathon in Melbourne for London on 23rd July 1918. Prest was allotted to the 10th Battalion but subsequently transferred to the artillery as a gunner on 8th December 1918. He was transferred to France on 14th December 1918. He left France for England on 30th January 1919 and embarked on the Anchises for Australia on 28th February 1919. He was discharged on 27th April 1919. Prest married Ethel Irene Hunwick, on 9th September 1926, in Kent Town Methodist Church. She was the daughter of Henry Charles Moore Hunwick and Fanny Louise, nee Crawley.   Prest and his wife travelled to London where he worked at The London Hospital from 1926 to 1927 and returned to Adelaide, in 1928, with their daughter, Elizabeth. The family moved to Jamestown, in country South Australia, and then to Wakefield Street, Adelaide.  Their old residence with surgery and waiting room attached was later demolished to build the Wakefield Street Hospital.

Prest enlisted in 2/AIF as a captain, at Keswick Barracks on the 28th March 1941, at the age of 42 years. He was living at 283 Wakefield Street, Adelaide at the time. He commenced duty in 4 MD from 28th March 1941. He was attached to 3rd Bde, and on the 1st April 1941, was taken on the strength of the Ambulance Sea Transport Company.  He arrived in the Middle East on 3rd May 1941 and was attached the Engineers Training Battalion on 20th May 1941.  However, he was admitted to 1 AGH with dysentery and consequently deemed as able to do voyage only duties.  He returned to Australia on 19th December 1941, and his service terminated on, 5th January 1942, at the rank of major.

Following the war, Prest continued his medical career as an anaesthetist.  He had several  hospital clinical appointments including; twenty-five years as an honorary anaesthetist at the RAH and a Foundation Member of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists. Prest also maintained a career-long association with the Order of St. John from 1929 for fifty-three years. He had been a Member of Council and Vice President with an investiture as Commander for Service to the Order in 1965. He represented the Order as a Member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of Welfare Section of Council of the Red Cross Society, SA, Co-founder and Foundation Member and Vice-President of the Asthma Association of SA, and Member of Council of Royal Flying Doctor Service. He was also an active medical officer in the St John Brigade for twenty-one years;  St John Ambulance Association for twenty-three years and its Chairman for fifteen years. Prest was active in medical politics in executive positions with the; Australian Medical Association, Medical Defence Association (SA); Prisoners Aid Society (OARS);  Committee of Management, Home for Incurables, and Medical Officer for the School Health Service in his 70s.  Henry Gordon Prest died on 17th October 1989 aged 90 years; he was living in Rutland Avenue, Unley Park South Australia. His daughter Elizabeth, a medical practitioner and MO to the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps, in South Australia, and grandson, later a Consultant Anaesthetist and Intensivist in Adelaide, survived 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