Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop - Life On The Job

Sir Ernest Edward 'Weary' Dunlop 12 July 1907 - 2 July 1993 - DOCTOR

Introduction

"Weary Dunlop", byname of Sir Ernest Edward Dunlop, (born July 12, 1907, Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia—died July 2, 1993, Melbourne), Australian physician, one of the most famous Australian World War II veterans, remembered for the compassionate medical care and leadership he provided for fellow prisoners of war (POWs) captured by the Japanese.

The second of two sons born to a family of Scottish heritage, Dunlop spent his early years on a farm near Stewarton, Victoria, before his family relocated to Benalla, Victoria. After working as a pharmacist’s apprentice, he attended pharmacy school in Melbourne, graduating in 1928. During this period he also served part-time in the army, until 1929.

Edward Dunlop

Education:

Dunlop attended Stewarton Public School and Benalla High School. Dunlop had been a school cadet, and he continued his part-time army service until 1929, when his service ceased under pressure from his pharmacy studies. He re-enlisted in 1935 and was commissioned into the Australian Army Medical Corps on 1 July with the rank of Captain.

"Commencing a pharmacy apprenticeship in 1924 at Benalla Dunlop moved to Melbourne in 1927 and attended the Pharmacy College. Excelling in his studies, he won a scholarship in 1930 to Ormond College, Melbourne University to study medicine.

There his last name, the same as that of a well-known manufacturer of automobile tyres, earned him the nickname “Weary,” though explanations of the derivation of that nickname vary. Some sources identify it as a kind of cockeyed synonym for “tires,” which is itself a homophone in British spelling: “tyres” (rubber wheel coverings) and “tires” (feels fatigue). Other sources point to the Dunlop company’s familiar marketing of tires touted for their durable “wear.”

While studying at the University of Melbourne, Dunlop distinguished himself as a member of its rugby union team. He also played for the Australian national team (once each in 1932 and in 1934) and eventually became the first native of Victoria to be inducted into the Wallaby (Australian rugby union) Hall of Fame. Moreover, Dunlop was a champion boxer while a student.

Dunlop acquired the nickname ‘Weary,’ yet tired and weary he was not. An industrious and hard-working student, he was known to keep long hours, often surviving on little sleep. Despite this, his passion for life and a larrikin streak attracted him to participate in the richness of college life. During Ormond College’s commencement revels, he rode into the city on the back of a lorry dressed as a fairy, his willingness to be involved in all manner of escapades ensuring his popularity. Dunlop also demonstrated a passion for defending moral causes that would stay with him for the rest of his life. In 1932 he was part of a group of angry students who manhandled the communist activist Sam White at a university debating society meeting, Dunlop having perceived that White had tarnished the university’s reputation.

Tall—six feet four inches (193 cm)—and strongly built, Dunlop was accomplished in sport, securing a half-Blue for boxing (1931) and a Blue for rugby union (1932). He was the university’s amateur heavyweight boxing champion for 1932, and represented Australia in the third rugby Test against New Zealand in July that year. Fearing that he might lose ground in his studies, he declined a place in the Australian team in 1933, but played again in the first Test against New Zealand in 1934.

He excelled at university and graduated in 1934 with first class honours.

After receiving his medical degree in 1934, Dunlop rejoined the military in 1935 as a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps. Two years later he received a master of surgery degree from the University of Melbourne. He then continued his medical studies in England at St. Bartholomew’s Medical School, and in 1938 he was inducted into the Royal College of Surgeons. When World War II broke out, Dunlop was still in England, practicing as an emergency medicine special surgeon at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.

Weary Dunlop quote

Employment:

He joined the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a junior resident in 1935 and was appointed Senior Surgical Resident in 1936; in 1937 he joined the Children's Hospital as Resident. In 1937 he graduated as Master of Surgery from Melbourne University.

War Experiences

An enthusiastic citizen-soldier, Dunlop was appointed captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, in 1935. Commissioned in the Australian Imperial Force on 13 November 1939 in London, he was posted in January 1940 to the medical section of the AIF’s Overseas Base in Palestine, and promoted in May to major. In the Greek campaign (April 1941) he served as AIF medical liaison officer between the British headquarters in Athens and the corps headquarters in the forward areas, gaining a reputation for fearlessness. Having assisted with the withdrawal to Crete, he was evacuated to Egypt in early May because of illness. The next month he was posted as senior surgeon of the 2/2nd Casualty Clearing Station at Tobruk, Libya. In July he assumed temporary command of the CCS, which moved to Egypt later the same month. Obtaining approval for a mobile operating unit—a concept he had long advocated—he raised and, from November, briefly commanded No. 1 Mobile Operating Unit, before returning to the 2/2nd CCS.

The unit arrived in Java in February 1942 and formed the nucleus of No. 1 Allied General Hospital, which opened at Bandoeng (Bandung) that month. Dunlop was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel (substantive, 1945) and placed in command. Staff and patients entered captivity when the Allied forces capitulated to the Japanese on 12 March. As the commander of Commonwealth troops, Dunlop fostered education, sports, and entertainments under difficult conditions. In January 1943 the Japanese dispatched a column of some nine hundred men under his command, via Singapore, to south-west Thailand. The men of Dunlop Force were put to work constructing the Burma-Thailand railway.

Did You Know?

(Source: Victoria Dept Education & Training)

After being initially held prisoner in Singapore, Dunlop was sent in January 1943 to Thailand, where he became one of the roughly 60,000 Allied POWs (about 13,000 of whom were Australians) who were forced to work on the construction of the Burma Railway, which was being built from near Bangkok to Thanbyuzayat, Burma (Myanmar), some 280 miles (450 km) away.

Dunlop was both the chief physician and the commanding officer of more than 1,000 POWs, alternately known as “Dunlop’s Thousand” or the “Dunlop Force.” Conditions for the POWs were abominable. Not only were they underfed and denied adequate medicine, but they were also cruelly mistreated and tortured by their Japanese captors. Dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, and other diseases were rampant.

Left: POWs suffering from dysentery relieve themselves while on a break from the train journey to Thailand in 1943.
Right: Australian prisoners of war clad only in loincloths chopping and sawing wood in 1944.
From the AWM in ABC News story

Despite suffering intermittently from amoebic dysentery, beriberi, tropical ulcers, and malaria, Dunlop used his generalist surgical knowledge to save countless lives. He received supplies of food, money, and medicines from the heroic Thai merchant and resistance worker Boon Pong (Boonpong Sirivejjabhandu), though these were never enough to alleviate the hardships and brutality that led to the deaths of many prisoners.

On a number of occasions, the Japanese subjected Dunlop to severe beatings and threatened him with execution. His physical control under extreme provocation from his captors earned him respect from his troops and helped to keep the survivors going through the difficult months of increasing pressure to complete their section of the railway.

In October he took command of the hospital at Tarsau (Nam Tok) and in January 1944 the hospital at Chungkai (near Kanchanaburi). He spent the last fourteen months of the war at the large Nakom Patom (Nakhon Pathom) hospital camp under (Sir) Albert Coates, who appointed him as the medical economics officer responsible for raising money for the sick. Coates also put him in charge of surgery and physiotherapy.

Map

Did You Know?

"This extraordinary first-hand account of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop's experiences as senior medical officer in the infamous prisoner-of-war camps in Java and on the Burma-Thailand Railway,
is not only an account of great historical significance but also a testament to the ability of the human spirit to overcome the most unbearably cruel conditions.

About the Author
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was an Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership whilst being held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II. A courageous leader and compassionate doctor, he restored morale in the terrible prison camps and jungle hospitals. After the war he continued to work as a surgeon as well as becoming involved in a number of health and educational organisations, and worked tirelessly in the community until his death in 1993. His diaries were first published in 1986.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: It's difficult not to be moved and shocked by 'Weary' Dunlop's extraordinary account of life as a prisoner-of-war. The details of daily life and the trials of surgery with no equipment and no anaesthetic are told in a matter-of-fact way by a man who displayed tremendous courage and resilience in the face of brutality and desperation."

Experiences & Opportunities after WWII

Repatriated in October 1945, Dunlop transferred to the Reserve of Officers as an honorary colonel on 2 February 1946. He was appointed OBE and mentioned in despatches (both 1947) for his service. On 8 November 1945, at Toorak Presbyterian Church, Victoria, he had married his long-time fiancée, Helen Leigh Raeburn Ferguson, a biochemist.

Resuming civilian life, Dunlop entered private practice and was appointed honorary surgeon to out-patients, later in-patients, at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Many of his patients were prisoners of war (POWs) or their wives; none were charged for their treatment. Demonstrating his ongoing commitment to their welfare, he served as president (1946–89) of the Victorian branch of the Ex-Prisoners of War Relatives Association for the next twenty-three years.

In August 1946 he opened an exhibition of watercolours and pencil sketches by the former POW Ray Parkin, who had created the artworks in captivity; Dunlop had concealed them beneath a table top, and brought them to Australia. He gave evidence that was later used at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. On behalf of POWs, he sought ‘reparations from the Japanese in compensation for suffering, disability, and loss of life resulting from inhuman treatment’ (Dunlop quoted in Smith’s Weekly 1947, 4).

Ray Parkin's "Two malarias with a cholera"
(Source: Ray Parkin)

Elected a fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons in 1948, Dunlop worked as a consultant at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and Peter MacCallum Clinic during the 1950s and 1960s.

In the two decades after the war, Dunlop’s attitude towards his former captors shifted from ‘hatred’ (Hetherington 1964, 22) to distrust to forgiveness. Under the Colombo Plan, in 1956 and 1958 he undertook surgical work in Thailand, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and India, and later encouraged the training of Asian medical personnel in Australia. Believing that ‘friendship between Australians and Asians [was] essential to lasting peace’ (Hetherington 1964, 22), he supported efforts to increase understanding, serving as president of the Australian-Asian Association from 1963 to 1993. In 1969 he returned to South-East Asia during the Vietnam War as leader of the Australian surgical team caring for civilians. He had been appointed CMG in 1965 and was knighted in 1969.

Sir Edward maintained a high public profile. Chairman of the Prisoners of War Trust Fund (1968–77), he took an active role in community health, serving as president of the Victorian Foundation on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (1970–82) and chairman of the executive committee of the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria (1974–80). He was named Australian of the Year for 1976. His The War Diaries of Weary Dunlop, illustrated by prisoners’ artworks, was published to great acclaim in 1986 and he was appointed AC in 1987. That year the Weary Dunlop Boon Pong Exchange Fellowship was established. Initiated by returned POWs in Western Australia, the fellowship brought Thai surgeons to Australia for further training.

Death and Rememberance

Predeceased by Helen (d. 1988) and survived by his two sons, Dunlop died on 2 July 1993 at Prahran, Victoria. He was farewelled with full military honours at a state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral, at which the former governor-general Sir Ninian Stephen delivered the eulogy. His coffin was carried on a gun carriage to the Shrine of Remembrance and over ten thousand spectators lined the streets. His remains were later cremated and floated down the Kwae Noi.

Three images
Sir Ernest Edward 'Weary' Dunlop is one of the extraordinary figures in Australia's history.
His name and deeds are associated with compassion, courage, steadfastness and hope.
(Source: Only Melbourne)

Weary’s heroism and legacy is memorialised by prominent statues at Benalla, Melbourne, and Canberra. The last, a bronze sculpture located in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial, depicts him in later life as a humble, stoop-shouldered, approachable, and smiling man. Dunlop was inducted into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame in 2008, the first Victorian to be given that honour. The Canberra suburb of Dunlop is named for him.

Want to know more?

Middle Secondary
Here is an account by Milton Fairclough - who served with Dunlop on the Thai-Burma Railway. It is at times, graphic and brutal, of the mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese.

Links:

Australian War Memorial (AWM): Weary Dunlop Biography	AWM: additional page on Weary Dunlop
Wikipedia: Weary Dunlop	ABC - Edward Dunlop
Weary - Back on his feet	Monash University: the late Weary Dunlop
An interview with Tom Uren with reference to Weary Dunlop, January 15, 1996 Australian Dictionary of Biography - Weary Dunlop	Weary' Dunlop - Burma Thailand Railway

Did You Know?

'Weary' Dunlop received many honours and awards throughout his life, including; the Order of the British Empire (1947); Companion of the Order of Australia (1987), Knight Grand Cross, Order of St John of Jerusalem (1992), Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Royal Crown of Thailand (1993); Honorary Fellow of the Imperial College of London; Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh; Honorary Life Member of the RSL; and, Life Governor of the Royal Women's Hospital and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

In 1976 he was named Australian of the Year and in 1988 he was named one of '200 Great Australians'! (Source: Australian Greats!)

In 1995, a 50 cent Australian coin depicting Weary Dunlop was created.

50 cent coin with Weary Dunlop

Should we remember 'Weary' Dunlop? (Created by ANZAC Day Commenoration Committee)
(12 page PDF activities sheet)

Middle Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical & Creative Thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Intercultural Understanding

Australian Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Asian Priority

Philosophy

Teacher Notes

There are four activities within the Student Worksheet:

a. Who was Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop?

Students are asked to: Look at an outline of the early life of Weary Dunlop. Note that he was taken prisoner of war (POW) in 1943. In the table provided on the following page, Identify those aspects of his experience and character or qualities that might be invaluable in his future life as a POW

b. What was it like to be an Australian prisoner of war of the Japanese?

Students are to use evidence and information from other prisoners of war that gives them some idea of the nature of the Australian prisoner of war experience under the Japanese. After considering this evidence and information, complete a table.
It might be an idea to get students to use Cooperative Learning Ideas here.

c. How did Weary Dunlop behave as a prisoner?

Original sources are provided from other prisoners. Students are to analyse and provide evidence for 8 in-depth and detailed questions.

d. How and why has Weary Dunlop been commemorated?

Students are to investigate the symbolism of two memorials and then prepare a service with a focus on Weary Dunlop.

Student Worksheets (12 pages PDF)

Using Voicethread, create a presentation with audio files about Edward 'Weary' Dunlop's life.

Primary Middle Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical & Creative Thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

1. Read Weary Dunlop's story (from the links above) Reading

2. In dot points, write up the most interesting aspects of his life. Things you are interested in and explain why they interest you.

3. Using Voicethread, create a presentation with audio files about Edward 'Weary' Dunlop's life.

Google Doodle Design (contributed by Ella Barry, ACU Education Student)

Primary Middle Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical & Creative Thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

1. Edward Weary Dunlop was born on the 12th of July 1907. You are to create a google doodle for the website which can be displayed on the 12th of July each year to celebrate Weary Dunlop's birthday.

How can you educate Australians about Weary Dunlop with your Google Doodle?

2. To get some ideas look at the following Google Doodles: