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BINNS Raymond Thomas OBE ED MD FRACP FANZCP

1901-1979

Raymond Thomas Binns was born on 12th June 1901, in Unley, SA.  He was the only son of Frederick Binns and Annie Cookman, nee Arbon. His father was a well-known Adelaide bookbinder. Binns was educated at Unley High School and Prince Alfred College, and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating MB BS in 1923.  After his resident year at the Adelaide Hospital, he travelled to England and worked at the West End Hospital for Nervous Diseases. Entering general practice on his return to Australia he gained his MD in 1937.  This was followed by his MRACP, in 1940. He was appointed the first honorary psychiatrist to the new psychiatric clinic at the ACH, in 1938. Binns married Margaret Sarah Dickson the daughter of Mr and Mrs WL Dickson of Woodville, SA, on 3rd September 1938.

Binns joined the CMF as a captain, in the AAMC in 1934. He was promoted to major, and posted as DADMS 4 MD on 24th April 1940 until 30th June 1940.  He enlisted in the 2/AIF on 22nd July 1940 at that time he lived on Greenhill Road, Linden Park and his practice was on North Terrace, Adelaide.  He was posted, to 2/8th FdAmb. Binns went with 2/8th FdAmb to the Middle East disembarking on 30th January 1941. He was reported as missing in action on 6th April 1941. He was taken a prisoner of war with 39 other members of 2/8th FdAmb at Derna in Libya. His son Richard was born two months after he left for overseas. He and his fellow prisoners were transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Northern Italy after four months.  Under an exchange of prisoners, he was repatriated and returned to Australia, on the Tai-Ping Yang, disembarking, in Fremantle, on 8th June 1943. Binns was made an Officer in the Order of the British Empire (OBE), in 1944. For services rendered whilst a Prisoner of War in North Africa during 1941 and 1942. Binns with the assistance of his men, and an Australian surgeon [Captain EW Levings of Leeton NSW] established an emergency aid post for carrying out operations on our own and enemy wounded.  During a four-month period, they performed outstanding work under most hazardous and difficult conditions, and many hundreds of British prisoners passed through their hands before he was evacuated as a prisoner of war to Italy where he continued to look after his fellow prisoners.  Many of the men who worked with Binns were patients and when able took it on themselves to assist other prisoners who were patients.  Many of them were Mentioned in Despatches-for their work with Binns. After his repatriation, Binns was promoted to lieutenant colonel and attached to 101 AGH.  He was posted to several positions, including 129 AGH at Katherine, until January 1944, the hospital ship Wanganella at Darwin and 113 Military Hospital (Concord). Then followed several alternating positions at 101 and 105 AGH, in SA. He was discharged, on 28th August 1945, and transferred to the Reserve of Officers.

After the war, Binns resumed his psychiatry practice and his position at the ACH, until his retirement in 1961. He also became a visiting psychiatrist at the Parkside Hospital (now Glenside Hospital) and visiting psychiatrist at the RGH. He was a member of the first Alcohol and Drug Addicts Treatment Board and, was influential in the changes to the Alcohol and Drug Addicts (Treatment) Act, which took effect from 1st January 1965. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first alcohol treatment centre in Adelaide. Binns had an interest in anthropology and was a member of the Anthropological Society of South Australia, with a particular interest in the welfare of Aborigines.  Raymond Thomas Binns died on 24th April 1979, survived by his wife and four children.

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