Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Henry Gilbert was born on 8th June 1880 at Pewsey Vale, Lyndoch in South Australia.  He was the son of William Gilbert and the grandson of Joseph Gilbert, an eminent pastoralist in South Australia. He was educated at St Peter’s College, and the Adelaide University and gained his MB BS at the University of Melbourne in 1901 due to the ‘Adelaide Hospital Row’. After graduation he studied surgery in London and took the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1906. He became interested in the Opsonic Index and furthered this interest in Almroth Wright’s laboratory at St Mary’s Hospital, London. He went into general practice with Dr Humphrey Marten on his return to Adelaide in 1907. He was also a visiting surgeon to the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.

Gilbert enlisted in the AAMC on 1st May 1915 at the age of 35 years and 10 months.  He was unmarried and his father William was recorded as his next of kin.  He was described as a British subject who could ride and was 5 ft 8ins tall, weighed 12st 10lbs. Gilbert embarked on HMAT Geelong for service as a medical officer on the transport ships. This appointment was terminated on 27th August 1915. He was re-appointed to the AIF on 28th April 1916 for duty with 1AGH at Heliopolis.  He was quickly re-appointed to transport ships in June of that year and returned to Australia from Egypt in July when his appointment was terminated on 27th July 1916. He was issued with the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. After the war Gilbert lodged a claim for a war gratuity based on his short service in Egypt, but this was refused.

Gilbert continued as an honorary staff member of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital on return to Australia. He was a member and subsequently President of the Board of Management of the hospital. He was conferred Life Governorship of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital in 1936. A wing of the Children’s hospital was named the Gilbert Wing in his honour. He also served on the Council of the South Australian Branch of the British Medical Association and later became the President of the Medical Benevolent Association of South Australia. Gilbert had a long and active association with St Mark’s College of Adelaide University. He retired prior to WW2 but returned to work to allow his younger colleagues to enlist. Gilbert was also a keen cricketer and slow bowler and formed a hospital cricket team in 1929. He married the granddaughter of Bishop Short, the first Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, and they had 2 sons who served in WW2. Henry Gilbert died suddenly in 27th October 1947 at the age of 67 years in his home on Le Fevre Terrace, North Adelaide and was survived by his widow, three sons and a daughter. He was described “as one of the State’s most public spirited men”