Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

KERR Challen Sydney MB BS BSc

1910- 2004

Challen Sydney Kerr was born on the 20th February 1910, in Semaphore, SA. He was the son of Sydney Dunstan Kerr and Mabel Pricilla Elizabeth, nee Best, a well-known Adelaide elocutionist. His father, a Freemason, was one of the founders of the Adelaide Musical and Literary competitions and was a significant supporter of music and elocution, in SA. Kerr was educated at Kings College and the School of Mines, Adelaide. He went to America in 1931, at the age of 21, after gaining top position, for a four-year scholarship to study a Bachelor of Natural Science at International Springfield YMCA College, Massachusetts, USA. Kerr graduated BSc in 1934. He also attended the University of Adelaide where he obtained his MB BS in 1942. After his resident medical officer year at the RAH in 1942, he enlisted in the RAAF.  His non-medical interests were tennis, cricket, baseball, and swimming. He married Margaret Kathleen Reed, on the 12th November 1943 at Malvern Methodist Church, SA.  She was the daughter of Mr Justice Geoffrey Sandford Reed, later Sir Geoffrey Sandford Reed, the Director-General of the Australian Securities Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and Kathleen Jennie, nee Matthews of College Park, SA.  Kerr and his wife lived, initially, at Greenways, King William Road, North Adelaide, SA.

Kerr joined the RAAF Medical Branch, at the rank of probationary flight lieutenant on 26th June 1942 and served, initially in the Reserve until 1st August 1943, and then in the active RAAF until demobilisation on 7th May 1946. On enlistment, he changed his Christian names around to Challen Sydney Kerr in his military record and was referred to in other areas as Challen Kerr. His probationary appointment was confirmed on 2nd February 1944. Kerr initially served with No 5 Recruit Centre (RC) Adelaide, then the Medical Training Unit, RAAF Laverton, 1 WAGS from 17th September 1943, and back to No 5 RC from 21st February 1944. His son, Ian Robert Challen Kerr, was born on 31st December 1944. Assessed in April 1945 he was described as a ‘dependable officer. Not forceful but quietly confident’. He was posted to No 6 RC 26th March 1945, No 5 PD from 15th August 1945 and No 4 PD from 15th December 1945. A short period was spent at 7 RAAF Hospital from 27th December 1945, before returning to 4 PD on 25th January 1946. Kerr took a short refresher course at the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital, Adelaide, SA, in April 1946 and at the Adelaide Children's Hospital in April 1944. He was discharged on 7th May 1946.

Kerr was an honorary assistant anaesthetist at the RAH in 1946, a surgical registrar at the RAH in 1947 and an honorary clinical assistant in the Department of Surgery at the RAH from 1948 to 1963. He was domiciled at Semaphore, SA, and undertook general practice in that area. Challen Sydney Kerr died in October 2004 at the age of 94 years. He was survived by his wife Margaret and their 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