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

Reginald Arthur Haste was born on the 20th July 1891 at Rose Park, South Australia son of Dr. Arthur Reginald Haste and Minnie, nee Elliott. He was educated at Prince Alfred College and was Dux in his final year. He spent 1 year in the school Cadets before studying medicine at the University of Adelaide graduating in science in 1911 and medicine in 1914. He completed his residency at the Adelaide Hospital.

Haste enlisted in the AIF on the 15th October 1915.  He was single, 24 years old, 5ft 10ins, and weighed 144lbs. He stated he could ride a horse and was slightly proficient in German. His father of “Roslyn”, Kensington Rd, Rose Park was named as his next of kin.  He embarked for the Middle East in March 1916. Haste like many young medical officers was attached to a unit for only one or two months at a time. He was posted initially to 3 Trg Bn on arrival in Egypt, and from there he was posted after a month to Ras el Tin, but fell ill with influenza. He moved between Ras el Tin, 3 AGH at Abbassia and 2 ASH at Tel el Kebir, before finally being taken on the strength of 3 AGH in August 1916.  After a brief stay at the RAMC Base Depot at Mustapha, he left for England in October 1916, and rejoined 3 AGH at Brighton. He went to France in January 1917 to join 1 AGH at Rouen. This posting however only lasted a month, and he was then transferred to 3 Div Base Depot at Etaples. He was posted to 3 FdAmb in March, but it is unclear if he actually joined the unit before developing laryngitis and being admitted to 24th General Hospital. He was sent to the Canadian Con Depot at Dieppe to convalesce. Haste then received news that his father had suffered a stroke and died.  As a result of his father’s death he returned to Australia on the 2nd May 1917. His appointment in the AIF was terminated on the 8th August 1917.  He was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Haste married Dorothy Edith Holden in 1919; they had 2 sons and a daughter.  His mother Minnie died in December 1919. Haste became an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and served on the Honorary Staff of the Queen’s Maternity Home and the Adelaide Hospital for many years. His professional address was 175 Nth Terrace, Adelaide.  Haste lived on Magill Rd, Maylands South Australia in 1929 and it was reported in the local paper that he was the owner of a new 1924 model Buick four passenger coupe. He gave the council land at the corner of Magill Road and Wellington Road in 1936 to ensure greater safety for vehicular traffic. In 1936 he was an examiner with the Royal Life Saving Society. His garden at Maylands featured in the Advertiser as the “Garden of the Week” in 1954. Reginald Arthur Haste died at Toorak Gardens, South Australia in 1968. His son Pilot Officer James Arthur Haste of 61 Squadron RAAF was shot down over Belgium in 1944 and is buried at Heverlee War Cemetery. His sister Edna Minnie enlisted as a nurse during WW1 and was posted to 7 AGH at Keswick.

Sources:

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4738664. NLA Trove,

Likeman R., “From the Tropics to the Desert”, Slouch Hat Publications, 2012.

Photo: Family Collection, from Margot Maitland.

Adelaide Advertiser December 1919.