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COCKBURN Malcolm Turner MD FRACP

1902 - 1965

Malcolm Turner Cockburn was born on 24th March 1902, in Norwood, SA. He was the son of Alexander Cockburn and Edith Olive, nee, Turner. He was educated at Prince Alfred College and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating MB BS in 1925. Cockburn married Alyson Edith Syme, the second daughter of Sir George Syme and Lady Syme of Chesterfield, Mayfield Avenue, Malvern, Victoria, on 20th December 1929. He undertook several years of postgraduate study overseas and returned to Adelaide to begin a career in paediatrics at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (ACH). He was the medical superintendent of the ACH until 1932 and continued as an honorary physician to the hospital for many years. The Adelaide newspapers reported that he had a car accident, in February 1935, with minor injuries. He gained his MD in 1936 and was elected a foundation Fellow of the RACP, in 1938.

Cockburn was posted as a physician to 3 AGH and left Adelaide, on 27th May 1940, disembarking in Liverpool, England, on 18th July. He was promoted major and appointed senior physician, on 1st August 1940, and sent to the Middle East. His journey was via Cape Town, South Africa, where he was briefly hospitalised, with a non-serious illness, on 20th April 1941. He arrived in the Middle East on 23rd May, and was attached to 1 AGH, followed by a posting to 6 AGH on 22nd October 1941. Cockburn had detachments to special duty on three occasions. His majority was confirmed on 1st September 1942. He left the Middle East, on 31st January 1943 arriving in Melbourne on 25th February 1943. He returned to South Australia and was posted to SA LoC on 26th March 1943.  Promoted lieutenant colonel on 31st May 1943, Cockburn was posted as OC Medical of 2/6 AGH. He had problems with diarrhoea and a dislocated patella, so subsequently was allotted for duty with 105 AMH and appointed to 115 AMH on 11th January 1944 until 26th April 1944. He was transferred back to SA LoC on 2nd January 1946. His appointment was terminated on 3rd January 1946, and he was placed on the Reserve of Officers.

Cockburn was a foundation member of the Australian Paediatric Association and became its president from 1957 to 1958.  He was the medical administrator of the ACH, in 1959, and honorary paediatrician to the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital and the Mareeba Babies Hospital. He was a member of the SA branch of the Australian Medical Association. Malcolm Turner Cockburn died on 12th May 1965 survived by his wife, Alyson.

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