Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

DOUGLAS Sholto John MB BS

1905 – 1984

Sholto John Douglas was born on the 18th May 1905, at Victor Harbor, SA. He was the son of Dr Francis John Douglas and Margaret Clark, nee Robertson. He has five siblings, two brothers and three sisters. He was educated at St Peter’s College, and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating MB BS in 1930.

Douglas enlisted for service at Woodside on 9th December 1939 and was appointed to the AAMC with the rank of captain. He was living at Collinswood, SA, at the time. He was taken on strength as RMO to the 2/1 Machine Gun Battalion (MG Bn), on 1st March 1940. He embarked for the United Kingdom on 5th May 1940 and was admitted to the ship’s hospital with erysipelas during the journey.  He remained with his unit for training in England and embarked for the Middle East, on 14th November 1940, arriving in Palestine on 30th December 1940. He continued with 2/1 MG Bn and embarked for Greece on 6th April 1941.  He had another bout of erysipelas and was evacuated to 1 AGH.  He re-joined his unit on 24 July 1941 and later allocated to 2/1st CCS, on 30th January 1942. He left the Middle East on the USS Mount Vernon and returned to Brisbane, QLD, in March 1942. Remaining with 2/1st CCS, Douglas was promoted major in September 1942 and went with this unit to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. He then was posted to 2/3 Aust Con Depot LofC, until September 1943. During this time, he had an unfortunate incident when he lost his pistol and was disciplined by the stoppage of his pay until he made good the sum of £6. 5s.  Then posted to 2/11 FdAmb, he remained in Papua New Guinea until 1st February 1944. He was sent back to Adelaide and admitted to 105 AGH with debility, and returned to duty on 18th March 1944. Douglas was promoted lieutenant colonel, on 24th July 1944 and appointed CO 2/11 FdAmb. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 14th March 1945. He embarked for service in Morotai, Indonesia and, Tarakan, North Borneo on 30th October 1945, and returned to Australia on 6th November 1945.  Douglas was discharged, on the 12th December 1945, and transferred to the Reserve of Officers, on 14th February 1946.

Douglas had married Alison Mary Clarke, nee Milne, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Clive Milne of Somerton Park, on 28th March 1942. She was previously married to and divorced from, John Russell Clarke, in 1940, the eldest son of William Lionel Clarke, a politician of South Yarra, Victoria.  Douglas and his wife had four children. Douglas set up a general practice in Walkerville, SA, after the war. He was a member of the BMA and became president of the SA Branch of the BMA from 1953 to 1954. Sholto John Douglas died on 18th February 1984; his wife had died before 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