James had purchased Summerlea, a mixed wheat and sheep farm, near Stewarton in ; he sold it in , after which the family lived together at Benalla. Young Dunlop completed his Leaving certificate in and commenced an apprenticeship with William McCall Say, a local pharmacist, the following year. In Dunlop enrolled in a correspondence course at the Victorian College of Pharmacy.
Tompsitt Memorial Scholarship. Having decided on a career as a medical practitioner, he transferred to the University of Melbourne MBBS, ; MS, in , winning a residential scholarship to Ormond College in his second year. 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. Dunlop also demonstrated a passion for defending moral causes that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Tall—six feet four inches cm —and strongly built, Dunlop was accomplished in sport, securing a half-Blue for boxing and a Blue for rugby union Fearing that he might lose ground in his studies, he declined a place in the Australian team in , but played again in the first Test against New Zealand in An enthusiastic citizen-soldier, Dunlop was appointed captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, in In the Greek campaign April 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. Obtaining approval for a mobile operating unit—a concept he had long advocated—he raised and, from November, briefly commanded No.
The unit arrived in Java in February and formed the nucleus of No. Dunlop was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel substantive, 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 the Japanese dispatched a column of some nine hundred men under his command, via Singapore, to south-west Thailand. He joined the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a junior resident in and was appointed Senior Surgical Resident in ; in he joined the Children's Hospital as Resident. In he graduated as Master of Surgery from Melbourne University. Dunlop had been a school cadet, and he continued his part-time army service until , when his service ceased under pressure from his pharmacy studies.
He re-enlisted in and was commissioned into the Australian Army Medical Corps on 1 July with the rank of Captain. The distinguished medical mentors Dunlop met in London for example Professor Grey-Turner and Sir Thomas Dunhill impressed him with their total dedication to their profession, and he resolved to emulate their example.
While in Britain Dunlop also developed a wide network of socially elevated and influential people. He remained with this unit as senior surgeon and second in charge and subsequently served with them in Tobruk. Here he was promoted to temporary Lt Colonel on 26 February He was in command of No. Australian prisoners of war on Java under Dunlop's command were transferred later that year to Singapore. Here Dunlop clashed with Lt Colonel Galleghan commander of the 8th Australian Division troops in Changi over Dunlop's authority as a non-combatant commander.
He remained there until the war ended, labouring tirelessly to save wounded, sick and malnourished men. Many times he put his own life at risk as he stood up to the brutality of his Japanese captors. Though not the only medical officer to act in this selfless way, his name was to become a legend among Australian prisoners of war and an inspiration for their own survival.
Throughout his captivity and at great personal risk Dunlop recorded his experiences in his diaries. On 27 September Dunlop was appointed Lt Colonel. Returning to Australia in October he was demobilised on 1 February , transferring to the Reserve List of Officers with the rank of Honorary Colonel.
Here his work was driven by a desire to obtain a level of justice for former prisoners of war. They subsequently had two sons, John and Alexander. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel in February and given command of No. When the island fell to the Japanese Dunlop became a prisoner of war. After being imprisoned on Singapore, Dunlop left for Thailand on 20 January For the rest of the war he worked as a medical officer on the Burma Thailand railway. The men under his charge suffered under primitive conditions and Dunlop became famous for his care of the ill and his willingness to place himself at risk, despite being unwell himself.
Dunlop survived captivity, had his temporary promotion confirmed, and was demobilised in February after which he transferred to the reserve with rank of honorary colonel. In November he had married Helen Ferguson, to whom he had become engaged early in the war and in established a private medical practice. Over the ensuing years Dunlop received many honours and appointments.
He was made a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in and was appointed senior consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from which he retired in At the same time he worked with former prisoners of war and led commemorative tours to the Burma-Thailand railway. Dunlop died in Melbourne on 2 July and his funeral was attended by more than 10, people.
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