Charles Rodger DUNKLEY

CAPTAIN ROGER ‘DOC’ DUNKLEY, THE 2/2’s LEGENDARY MEDICAL OFFICER DURING THE TIMOR CAMPAIGN

Captain Roger ‘Doc’ Dunkley – probably at the Tidal River training camp 1941 [1]

Back in 2001 Jack Carey wrote in the ‘Courier’:

‘On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the formation of the unit in July 1941, we thought it would be fitting to pay a small tribute to our first Medical Officer Captain Rodger ‘Doc’ Dunkley.  His youngest son Stuart (Pip) Dunkley has kindly provided the following short biography on his father’. [2]

CHARLES RODGER DUNKLEY 1899-1969

Charles Rodger Dunkley (hereafter called Rodger) was born in South Melbourne 5 October 1899, the son of Charles Alfred Dunkley and Jane Rodger Dunkley.

At an early age his father, who was a ships officer, was drowned whilst attempting to save a swimmer in difficulties at a suburban Melbourne beach.  This unfortunate incident left Jane a widow, with 2 children, Rodger and his younger brother Alfred.

In search of a more secure future for her children Jane left Rodger and Alfred in the care of her family relations and moved to Western Australia where she gained employment as a nursing assistant in the Goldfields town of Leonora.  It was during this time that she met and subsequently married a pharmaceutical chemist by the name of Frank Ernest Gibson, later to become Sir Frank Gibson, Mayor of the City of Fremantle and Member of the West Australian Legislative Council.

In about 1911, Jane sent for her children and it was Rodger, aged 11, who responsibly brought Alfred to Kalgoorlie on the Trans-Australia train to be reunited with their mother and to meet their soon to be step-father, Frank Gibson.

The journey across the continent was, no doubt, a dark frightening experience for this young boy but he accepted responsibility then as he accepted it for the remainder of his life.

The new family located to Fremantle and Rodger was educated at the Perth Modern School.  He completed his schooling at the end of the school year of 1915, and it was in 1916 that he volunteered for service with the Australian Imperial Force.  After his basic training he was posted to 28th Battalion, a WA unit and saw active service in France.  In 1918 Rodger succumbed to the Spanish Flu epidemic and spent almost 12 months recuperating in various Australian general hospitals, including some months in Italy.  A legacy of this illness was the weak chest and associated respiratory problems that accompanied him on the remainder of his journey through life.

On his return to Australia he was accepted by the University of Melbourne as an Undergraduate in the Faculty of Medicine and for the next 6 years he studied hard.  During this time he lived at the University of Melbourne’s “Ormond” College.  Upon graduation, Rodger returned to Western Australia and was granted an internship at Fremantle Hospital.

It was during this time that he met Jessie Mary Mackay, a resident of Fremantle.  They were married in 1928 and settled in Ellen Street Fremantle.  They had 2 sons, Ross born in 1931 and Stuart (Pip) in 1934.

Rodger conducted a busy practice up to 1940 when he again, answered the call and in due course, became the inaugural Medical Officer of the 2nd Australian Independent Company and accompanied that unit to Timor.  Your members will know more of his exploits there than I do; suffice to say that he accepted the responsibility of his commission honourably and with the compassion of his calling.

On the units return to Australia, Rodger departed the ranks of 2/2nd and for the remainder of the war years he was engaged in duties pertaining to service with the Royal Australian Medical Corps.  This included active service in Borneo, where he was stationed at the time of the Japanese capitulation.

After “de-mob” he returned to his Fremantle practice from which he retired in 1964.  Until the time of his death Rodger was the District Officer for the Western Australian Police Service and was also Area Medical Officer for the Army.

In 1968 he and Jess sold the family home in Fremantle and built a new house in Swanbourne.  He was able to continue his passion for gardening and in particular, roses, at this abode until his death on 14 May 1969 aged 69 years.

Rodger Dunkley was a humble man.  He was a good role model to all; honourable, loyal, sincere and his integrity could not be questioned.  He was his own man but fair to all others.  He could not tolerate “bludgers” or “free loaders” and, at times, appeared to be intolerant of others.  However, if you were “down and out” and it looked like the end of the road, Rodger Dunkley was there for you with a kind word and a helping hand.  His compassion was boundless.

Pip Dunkley

Jack complemented Pip’s biographical note with a following article summarising ‘Doc’ Dunkley’s outstanding contribution during the Timor campaign: [3]

“The ‘Doc’ as he was affectionately known, was the unit’s Medical Officer (M.O) from its formation in July 1941 to December 1942.  He did an outstanding job throughout the difficult and hazardous Timor campaign in 1942. He soon made it clear to the men to whom he was responsible, that he would stand no nonsense.

If a man was genuinely sick the Doc and his orderlies would do all that they could for the soldier, but woe betide anyone who tried to put one over.  The ‘Doc’, a World War 1 veteran, would give the malingerer a nice old tongue lashing, and send him on his way.  They seldom tried it again. 

The Doc was really put to the test early in 1942 when 90% of the men went down with malaria in the course of a few weeks.  The Doc and his staff worked around the clock in makeshift wards, caring for the men day in and day out until they were back on their feet again.  The subsequent decision on his recommendation, to move the men away from the mosquito infested drome area to the nearby mountains, had the effect of getting the troops back in fighting shape.

This was to eventually enable the 2/2nd men to carry out a successful campaign against the Japs after they occupied Dili on 20th February 1942.

The Doc was forced to make a number of moves so he could carry on his good work, restoring the health of the sick, attending the wounded and those with serious tropical diseases, Railaco, Same and Ainaro were some of these places.  Ainaro eventually became his main base.  Up until the end of April, medical supplies were limited, but once contact was made with the mainland things began to improve.

Pip (son of Dr Roger Dunkley) and Barb Dunkley in front of the current Ainaro Hospital that stands on the site of the old Portuguese era hospital – 27 April 2014

Those survivors of the campaign will remember the great care and attention he gave Alan Hollow, Keith Hayes, Gerry Maley, Eddie Craighill, and others, who were badly wounded and seriously ill.  The Doc, who painted his back with iodine and nursed him back to health, saved Colin Doig who was at deaths door when the natives carried him in with double pneumonia.

Those with ulcers always grimaced when the Doc used to scrape out the pus and poison with a spoon. Ulcers turn very nasty in the tropics.  God knows how many men the Doc and his orderlies treated in those hectic 12 months, but to his credit Rodger Dunkley never wavered, he did a mighty job.

Don Turton likes to tell the story that when he and the Doc set out with a small escort to rescue Gerry Maley, who was wounded and was being cared for by the natives in a hut, in a Jap area, they sighted a number of Japs swimming in a pool some distance away, “let’s do them over” said the Doc.  Don had to talk him out of his suggestion, saying it could jeopardise the chance of rescuing Gerry.  The Doc reluctantly agreed and Gerry was duly rescued.

[4]

Why Rodger Dunkley’s outstanding contribution on Timor went unrecognised is a sore point with all those who served in that campaign and were aware of the great work he had done there.  If ever a man was entitled to a Distinguished Service Order it was he.

It was a great injustice.  Maybe it was because of the change of command during the campaign, firstly Alec Spence then Bernie Callinan and finally Geoff Laidlaw.  It was an oversight on someone’s part that no commendation for a higher award was ever made, apart from a M.I.D.  These things happen in the army.  Not that it would have upset the Doc, he was not an honour seeking man, and his main concern was always for the men under his care.  We could not have had a better man for our M.O.

 

[5]

The orderlies, who assisted Rodger during his time with us in Cliff Paff, Alan Luby, Fred Sparkman, Alec Wares, and Boy Coates, also deserve a special mention.

Jack Carey

REFERENCES

[1] https://doublereds.org.au/history/men-of-the-22/wx/charles-rodger-dunkley-r96/

[2] Stuart (Pip) Dunkley ‘Roger Dunkley M.O.’ Courier 137 June 2001: 15-16.  https://doublereds.org.au/couriers/2001/Courier%20June%202001.pdf

[3] Jack Carey ‘Roger Dunkley M.O.’ Courier 137 June 2001: 16-17.  https://doublereds.org.au/couriers/2001/Courier%20June%202001.pdf

[4] https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1579678

[5] https://museum.wa.gov.au/debt-of-honour/dunkley-s-mobile-hospital

ADDITIONAL READING

Dunkley Charles Roger : SERN 52043 : POB Port Melbourne VIC : POE Perth WA : NOK M Gibson Jean Roger. - NAA: B2455, DUNKLEY C R. - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3527236&isAv=N

Dunkley Charles Rodger : Service Number - WX11064 : Date of birth - 05 Oct 1899 : Place of birth - MELBOURNE VIC : Place of enlistment - PERTH WA : Next of Kin - DUNKLEY JESSIE. - NAA: B883, WX11064. - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=6455585&isAv=N

Hal G.P. Colebatch ‘Dr Roger Dunkley, forgotten hero of World War II’ News Weekly 2945 April 2015 :17-18.  https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.125515824810966

‘Vale Doctor Roger Dunkley’ Courier 23 (215) June 1969: 3.  https://doublereds.org.au/couriers/1969/Courier%20June%201969.pdf