Samuel Burston
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir Samuel Roy Burston KBE
, CB, DSO
, VD
, FRCP
, FRCPE
, FRACP
(21 March 1888 – 21 August 1960) was an Australia
n soldier
, physician
, and horse racing identity.
The son of a prominent Melbourne
soldier and businessman, Burston graduated from the University of Melbourne
with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
in 1910. After graduation he worked with children at the Adelaide Children's Hospital
and Aboriginal people
in the Northern Territory
.
Having served with the Militia from an early age, he obtained a commission in the Australian Army Medical Corps
in 1912 and served as a medical officer in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front
during World War I
. Burston was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for supervising an advanced dressing station under fire during the Battle of Messines
. After the war he became a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
. During World War II
he served as Director of Medical Services in the Middle East and Director General of Medical Services in Australia with the rank of major general. The 9th Division was withdrawn from the Siege of Tobruk
on his medical advice.
Burston was involved in thoroughbred racing both as a punter and as a racehorse owner. He served as Chairman of the Moonee Valley Racing Club
from 1952 until his death in 1960. Burston made the Cox Plate the richest weight for age
race in Australia and he oversaw the construction of the Burston Grandstand, which was named in his honour.
on 21 March 1888, the fourth of seven children to James Burston, a businessman who served as Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1908 to 1910, and his wife Marianne, née McBean. The family lived in Flinders Street, Melbourne
and later in Hawthorn, Victoria
. James Burston would go on to command the 7th Infantry Brigade in the Gallipoli Campaign and rise to the rank of major general. Roy was educated at Melbourne Grammar School
, where he acquired the nickname "Ginger" after his red hair
. He joined the Victorian Military Forces as a bugler in 1900, serving with them and the Australian Military Forces
until 1905. He considered a full-time military career but this was precluded by the discovery of a heart murmur
.
Burston studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1910. Soon after his graduation he became a resident medical officer
at Adelaide Children's Hospital
. In 1911 and 1912, he served in the Northern Territory
as a medical inspector of Aborigines
with the Aboriginal Protection Board
. He returned to Adelaide
where he married Helen Elizabeth Culross on 16 April 1913 in St Michael's Anglican
Church at Mitcham, South Australia
. He took up general practice in Mile End, South Australia
. Although unable to pursue a military career, he obtained a commission as a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) on 14 October 1912.
as a major
in the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance on 26 March 1915. He embarked for Egypt
on the transport Borda on 23 June 1915. In September, he went to Gallipoli with the 7th Field Ambulance, which supported his father's 7th Infantry Brigade. He served on Gallipoli from September until November, when he was evacuated to Alexandria
and later England
with Typhoid fever
. Burston remained in hospital until September 1916, when he was posted to the 11th Field Ambulance, part of the 3rd Division, then training at Larkhill
in England. He moved to France with this unit on 24 November 1916. For his conduct supervising an advanced dressing station the Battle of Messines
, Burston was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
. His citation, signed by Major General John Monash
, read:
Later that month, Burston was appointed senior medical officer at the Australian General Base Depot at Le Havre
with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel
. This rank became substantive on 18 September 1917. He was made commander of the 1st Convalescent Depot on 18 April 1918 and of the 3rd General Hospital on 22 November 1918. On 7 April 1919, he became Assistant Director of Medical Services (ADMS), AIF Depots in the United Kingdom
with the temporary rank of colonel
. For this work, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He returned to Australia aboard the Orsova on 22 November 1919.
Burston was promoted to major in the AAMC on 1 July 1919, lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1920, and colonel on 1 September 1921. He assumed the post of Deputy Director of Medical Services, 4th Military District in South Australia
on 1 August 1921, a post he was to hold until 12 October 1939.
A tall man at , Burston was awarded the Royal Humane Society
of Australasia's Bronze Medal for saving the life of a youth caught in the rip
while surfing
at Victor Harbor, South Australia
in 1927. A member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
, and a fellow from 1937, he became a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
in 1938. He was an honorary physician at Royal Adelaide Hospital
from 1933, becoming honorary consultant physician in 1947, and was honorary physician to the Governor-General
from 1 July 1939 to 11 February 1943.
, tapped Burston for the post of Assistant Director of Medical Services (ADMS) of the 6th Division. Burston officially joined the Second Australian Imperial Force
on 13 October 1939 with the rank of colonel, and received the serial number VX2 (VX1 being Major General Sir Thomas Blamey
). When I Corps was formed in April 1940, Burston was appointed to its staff as Deputy Director of Medical Services (DDMS). As such, he was promoted to Brigadier
on 1 July 1940.
Burston departed for the Middle East
by Qantas
flying boat
along with Blamey and Brigadier Sydney Rowell
on 12 June 1940, the party wearing civilian clothes as they were travelling through neutral countries. In November, Blamey organised a Headquarters, AIF in the Middle East and appointed Burston as its Director of Medical Services (DMS). The Australian Government had appointed Major General Rupert Downes
to this post, but it deferred to Blamey. Burston was promoted to Major General on 16 February 1941.
Burston believed in personal reconnaissance and leading from the front. He was at the forefront of providing the medical arrangements for Operation Compass
. He attempted, in the face of equipment shortages, to anticipate medical problems and so far as possible to prevent or avoid them. He dispatched Major Ian Murray Mackerras
to investigate fly breeding in order to prevent an outbreak of diarrhoea. Burston gave Mackerras a free hand to tackle hygiene problems.
His participation in the Battle of Greece
was of brief duration; he embarked on 10 April 1941 and was back less than two weeks later. While there, he visited the front and was caught up in an air raid at Elassona
. The disaster in Greece greatly exacerbated the ongoing problem of medical equipment, as losses included the complete equipment of three field ambulances, two casualty clearing stations, a 600-bed hospital and one 1200-bed general hospital.
In July 1941, Burston reported that Australians on leave in Cairo from the Siege of Tobruk
were underweight, and expressed doubts that the 9th Division might have the physical stamina to resist an attack. Burston and Colonel Neil Hamilton Fairley
met with the 9th Division's commander, Major General Leslie Morshead
, as did Blamey, with the result that Blamey sought its relief. This led to showdowns first between Blamey and General Sir Claude Auchinleck
, and then between the British and Australian governments. Burston was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 14 April 1942; his citation, written by Blamey, read:
Burston departed the Middle East for Batavia on 22 January 1942. He narrowly avoided capture when it fell, departing on the Orcades on 21 February 1942. On 8 May 1942, Burston became DGMS at GHQ (Australia), which soon became Land Headquarters (LHQ). In this position, he found himself in charge of officers like Downes who were senior to him militarily, and others like Fairley and Mackerras who "were, in truth, superior to him in intellectual distinction and professional status." He made numerous visits to the front in Papua-New Guinea, during September, November and December 1942, July 1943, and June 1944. On his visit to Papua in September 1942, Blamey asked Burston to intercede with Rowell, the relationship between Blamey and Rowell having broken down as a result of the Rowell's supersession by Blamey on the orders of General
Douglas MacArthur
and Prime Minister
John Curtin
. Burston failed to placate Rowell, and Rowell was relieved. In April 1945, Burston visited South East Asia Command
. The next month, he travelled to the United Kingdom
, where he ratified a series of agreements on the exchange of information regarding the development of new drugs, and for the funding of research scholarships by the Rockefeller Foundation
and Carnegie Corporation of New York
. He was returning to Australia when the war ended.
to King George VI
. He retired as DGMS and from the Army in 1948, returning to Melbourne rather than resuming his medical practice. He served as honorary colonel of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
from 1952 to 1957. In 1950, he delivered the Rupert Downes
Memorial Lecture based on his book on Medical Aspects of Atomic Warfare.
Burston was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John
in 1944. Blamey recommended Burston for a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in September 1945, along with Frank Berryman, James Cannan
, John Northcott
, Jack Stevens
and George Wootten
. The recommendation was turned down by the Labor
government as it was not Labor Party policy to award knighthoods at this time. Following the election of the coalition
government in the 1949 election
, Blamey wrote to the new Prime Minister
, Robert Menzies
, again requesting honours for his generals. This time he was successful, and Burston was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(military division) in 1952.
Burston became fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1945. He served as Chief Commissioner of St John Ambulance Australia
from 1945 to 1957 and receiver-general of the Priory in Australia from 1957. Burston served as director of several companies, including David Syme & Co. (the publisher of The Age
newspaper), Western Mining Corporation
, Great Western Consolidated, New Coolgardie, and Koolgardie Southern. He was a medical advisor to the Australian Red Cross
and National Mutual Life Association.
Burston enjoyed playing golf
and tennis
.He was involved in thoroughbred racing both as a punter
and as a racehorse owner. He was elected Chairman of the Moonee Valley Racing Club
following the death of C. F. (Charlie) Taylor in 1952. Burston increased the prize money of the Cox Plate
, taking £1,000 from the Moonee Valley Cup and adding another £1,000 to give the two races equal prize money of £4,000. This made the Cox Plate the richest weight for age
race in Australia. In announcing the decision, Burston described the prize money as "fitting to the class of horses competing", noting that it had drawn fields with winners such as Phar Lap
in 1930 and 1931; Chatham
in 1932 and 1934; Ajax in 1938; Flight
in 1945 and 1946; and Hydrogen, the 1952 winner that would go on to win it again in 1953. In 1956, Burston announced a long range plan to increase the prize money to £10,000, although this would not be achieved until 1964. Crowds at the race meetings at Moonee Valley had fallen from an average of 35,000 per meeting in 1948–49 to 25,000 in 1952–53. To lure punters back, the club expanded facilities. A new public grandstand, named the Burston Grandstand in his honour, was built at a cost of £200,000. This facility was first used for the Cox Plate
meeting in 1958.
Burston died on 21 August 1960 in South Yarra, Victoria
. He was survived by his daughter Elizabeth, who was married to Dr Christopher Sangster, an Adelaide physician, and his sons Samuel, a pastoralist in the Western District of Victoria
, and Robin, a physician at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide
. Burston was cremated after a military funeral
at Christ Church, South Yarra. A portrait by Sir William Dargie
was purchased by a fund subscribed to by a large number of medical officers and presented to him at The Australasian Medical Congress in Perth, Western Australia
in 1948. Today, it is in his family's possession. Another portrait, by Sir Ivor Hele
, is held by the Australian War Memorial
.
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
Sir Samuel Roy Burston KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, VD
Volunteer Decoration
The Volunteer Officers' Decoration was created by Royal Warrant under command of Queen Victoria on 25 July 1892 to reward 'efficient and capable' officers of the Volunteer Force who had served for twenty years...
, FRCP
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
, FRCPE
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh was established in the 17th century. While the RCPE is based in Edinburgh, it is by no means just a Scottish professional body - more than half of its 7,700 Fellows, Members, Associates and Affiliates live and practice medicine outside Scotland, in 86...
, FRACP
Royal Australasian College of Physicians
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, or RACP, is the organisation responsible for training, educating, and representing over 9,000 physicians and paediatricians in Australia and New Zealand. It was founded in 1938....
(21 March 1888 – 21 August 1960) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, and horse racing identity.
The son of a prominent Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
soldier and businessman, Burston graduated from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, or in Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae , are the two first professional degrees awarded upon graduation from medical school in medicine and surgery by universities in various countries...
in 1910. After graduation he worked with children at the Adelaide Children's Hospital
Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide
The Women's and Children's Hospital is located on King William Road in North Adelaide, Australia.It is one of the major hospitals in Adelaide and is a teaching hospital of the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and Flinders University....
and Aboriginal people
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
Having served with the Militia from an early age, he obtained a commission in the Australian Army Medical Corps
Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 and has participated in every Australian Army operation...
in 1912 and served as a medical officer in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Burston was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for supervising an advanced dressing station under fire during the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
. After the war he became a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
The post-nominal initials FRACP stand for "Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians."Fellowship is recognition of completion of the College's prescribed post-graduate specialist training program in medicine....
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served as Director of Medical Services in the Middle East and Director General of Medical Services in Australia with the rank of major general. The 9th Division was withdrawn from the Siege of Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
on his medical advice.
Burston was involved in thoroughbred racing both as a punter and as a racehorse owner. He served as Chairman of the Moonee Valley Racing Club
Moonee Valley Racing Club
The Moonee Valley Racing Club is located at the Moonee Valley racecourse on McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds . It is one of three racing clubs in the Melbourne metropolitan area; the others are the Victoria Racing Club and the Melbourne Racing Club...
from 1952 until his death in 1960. Burston made the Cox Plate the richest weight for age
Weight for Age
Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
race in Australia and he oversaw the construction of the Burston Grandstand, which was named in his honour.
Education and early life
Samuel Roy Burston was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 21 March 1888, the fourth of seven children to James Burston, a businessman who served as Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1908 to 1910, and his wife Marianne, née McBean. The family lived in Flinders Street, Melbourne
Flinders Street, Melbourne
Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile in length and one and half chains in width...
and later in Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
. James Burston would go on to command the 7th Infantry Brigade in the Gallipoli Campaign and rise to the rank of major general. Roy was educated at Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, where he acquired the nickname "Ginger" after his red hair
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
. He joined the Victorian Military Forces as a bugler in 1900, serving with them and the Australian Military Forces
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
until 1905. He considered a full-time military career but this was precluded by the discovery of a heart murmur
Heart murmur
Murmurs are extra heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise. Most murmurs can only be heard with the assistance of a stethoscope ....
.
Burston studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1910. Soon after his graduation he became a resident medical officer
Residency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
at Adelaide Children's Hospital
Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide
The Women's and Children's Hospital is located on King William Road in North Adelaide, Australia.It is one of the major hospitals in Adelaide and is a teaching hospital of the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and Flinders University....
. In 1911 and 1912, he served in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
as a medical inspector of Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
with the Aboriginal Protection Board
Aboriginal Protection Board
There was an Aboriginal Protection Board in a number of Australian States with the function of "protecting" and regulating the lives of Indigenous Australians. They were also responsible for administering the various Half-caste acts where these existed and had a key role in the Stolen generations...
. He returned to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
where he married Helen Elizabeth Culross on 16 April 1913 in St Michael's Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
Church at Mitcham, South Australia
Mitcham, South Australia
Mitcham is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Mitcham.Created as a village separate from Adelaide , it was ancillary to a sheep station at Brown Hill Creek belonging to the South Australia Company. Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Kaurna aboriginal people...
. He took up general practice in Mile End, South Australia
Mile End, South Australia
Mile End is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, located in the City of West Torrens, around 2 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. It has a census area population of 3,918 people...
. Although unable to pursue a military career, he obtained a commission as a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) on 14 October 1912.
World War I
Burston joined the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
as a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance on 26 March 1915. He embarked for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on the transport Borda on 23 June 1915. In September, he went to Gallipoli with the 7th Field Ambulance, which supported his father's 7th Infantry Brigade. He served on Gallipoli from September until November, when he was evacuated to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and later England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
. Burston remained in hospital until September 1916, when he was posted to the 11th Field Ambulance, part of the 3rd Division, then training at Larkhill
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It is a short distance west of Durrington village proper and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury....
in England. He moved to France with this unit on 24 November 1916. For his conduct supervising an advanced dressing station the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
, Burston was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. His citation, signed by Major General John Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
, read:
Later that month, Burston was appointed senior medical officer at the Australian General Base Depot at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. This rank became substantive on 18 September 1917. He was made commander of the 1st Convalescent Depot on 18 April 1918 and of the 3rd General Hospital on 22 November 1918. On 7 April 1919, he became Assistant Director of Medical Services (ADMS), AIF Depots in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with the temporary rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. For this work, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He returned to Australia aboard the Orsova on 22 November 1919.
Between the wars
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
on 1 August 1921, a post he was to hold until 12 October 1939.
A tall man at , Burston was awarded the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
of Australasia's Bronze Medal for saving the life of a youth caught in the rip
Rip current
A rip current, commonly referred to by the misnomer rip tide, is a strong channel of water flowing seaward from near the shore, typically through the surf line. Typical flow is at 0.5 metres per second , and can be as fast as 2.5 metres per second...
while surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
at Victor Harbor, South Australia
Victor Harbor, South Australia
Victor Harbor is a city located on the coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 80 km south of Adelaide, South Australia. The city is the largest population centre on the peninsula, with an economy based upon agriculture, fisheries and various industries...
in 1927. A member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh was established in the 17th century. While the RCPE is based in Edinburgh, it is by no means just a Scottish professional body - more than half of its 7,700 Fellows, Members, Associates and Affiliates live and practice medicine outside Scotland, in 86...
, and a fellow from 1937, he became a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
The post-nominal initials FRACP stand for "Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians."Fellowship is recognition of completion of the College's prescribed post-graduate specialist training program in medicine....
in 1938. He was an honorary physician at Royal Adelaide Hospital
Royal Adelaide Hospital
The Royal Adelaide Hospital is Adelaide's largest hospital, with 680 beds. Founded in 1840, the Royal Adelaide provides tertiary health care services for South Australia and provides secondary care clinical services to residents of Adelaide's city centre and inner suburbs.The hospital is situated...
from 1933, becoming honorary consultant physician in 1947, and was honorary physician to the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
from 1 July 1939 to 11 February 1943.
World War II
In October 1939, the Director General of Medical Services (DGMS), Major General Rupert DownesRupert Downes
Major General Rupert Major Downes CMG, KStJ, VD, FRACS was an Australian soldier, general, surgeon and historian in the first half of the 20th century. Downes attended the University of Melbourne, graduating with his medical degrees in 1907...
, tapped Burston for the post of Assistant Director of Medical Services (ADMS) of the 6th Division. Burston officially joined the Second Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
on 13 October 1939 with the rank of colonel, and received the serial number VX2 (VX1 being Major General Sir Thomas Blamey
Thomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
). When I Corps was formed in April 1940, Burston was appointed to its staff as Deputy Director of Medical Services (DDMS). As such, he was promoted to Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
on 1 July 1940.
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
by Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
along with Blamey and Brigadier Sydney Rowell
Sydney Rowell
Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Fairbairn Rowell, KBE, CB was an Australian soldier who served as Chief of the General Staff from 17 April 1950 to 15 December 1954...
on 12 June 1940, the party wearing civilian clothes as they were travelling through neutral countries. In November, Blamey organised a Headquarters, AIF in the Middle East and appointed Burston as its Director of Medical Services (DMS). The Australian Government had appointed Major General Rupert Downes
Rupert Downes
Major General Rupert Major Downes CMG, KStJ, VD, FRACS was an Australian soldier, general, surgeon and historian in the first half of the 20th century. Downes attended the University of Melbourne, graduating with his medical degrees in 1907...
to this post, but it deferred to Blamey. Burston was promoted to Major General on 16 February 1941.
Burston believed in personal reconnaissance and leading from the front. He was at the forefront of providing the medical arrangements for Operation Compass
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
. He attempted, in the face of equipment shortages, to anticipate medical problems and so far as possible to prevent or avoid them. He dispatched Major Ian Murray Mackerras
Ian Murray Mackerras
Ian Murray Mackerras was an Australian zoologist.Mackerras was born in Balclutha, New Zealand to James Murray Mackerras, and Elizabeth Mary , both farmers. His parents separated and Ian and brother Alan lived with their mother in Sydney...
to investigate fly breeding in order to prevent an outbreak of diarrhoea. Burston gave Mackerras a free hand to tackle hygiene problems.
His participation in the Battle of Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
was of brief duration; he embarked on 10 April 1941 and was back less than two weeks later. While there, he visited the front and was caught up in an air raid at Elassona
Elassona
Elassona is a town and a municipality in the Larissa peripheral unit in Greece. During antiquity Elassona was called Oloosson - Ὀλοοσσών and was a town of the ancient "Perrhaebi", known today as Thessaly. It is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus...
. The disaster in Greece greatly exacerbated the ongoing problem of medical equipment, as losses included the complete equipment of three field ambulances, two casualty clearing stations, a 600-bed hospital and one 1200-bed general hospital.
In July 1941, Burston reported that Australians on leave in Cairo from the Siege of Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
were underweight, and expressed doubts that the 9th Division might have the physical stamina to resist an attack. Burston and Colonel Neil Hamilton Fairley
Neil Hamilton Fairley
Brigadier Sir Neil Hamilton Fairley KBE CStJ FRACP FRCP FRCPE FRS was an Australian physician, medical scientist, and army officer; who was instrumental in saving thousands of Allied lives from malaria and other diseases....
met with the 9th Division's commander, Major General Leslie Morshead
Leslie Morshead
Lieutenant General Sir Leslie James Morshead KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian soldier, teacher, businessman, and farmer, with a distinguished military career that spanned both world wars...
, as did Blamey, with the result that Blamey sought its relief. This led to showdowns first between Blamey and General Sir Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
, and then between the British and Australian governments. Burston was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 14 April 1942; his citation, written by Blamey, read:
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
. Burston failed to placate Rowell, and Rowell was relieved. In April 1945, Burston visited South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
. The next month, he travelled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he ratified a series of agreements on the exchange of information regarding the development of new drugs, and for the funding of research scholarships by the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
and Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
. He was returning to Australia when the war ended.
Later life
On 21 August 1945, Burston became honorary physicianMedical Household
The Medical Household is the medical part of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.It mainly comprises a range of Physicians and Surgeons to the Sovereign and to the Royal Household...
to King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
. He retired as DGMS and from the Army in 1948, returning to Melbourne rather than resuming his medical practice. He served as honorary colonel of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 and has participated in every Australian Army operation...
from 1952 to 1957. In 1950, he delivered the Rupert Downes
Rupert Downes
Major General Rupert Major Downes CMG, KStJ, VD, FRACS was an Australian soldier, general, surgeon and historian in the first half of the 20th century. Downes attended the University of Melbourne, graduating with his medical degrees in 1907...
Memorial Lecture based on his book on Medical Aspects of Atomic Warfare.
Burston was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 1944. Blamey recommended Burston for a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in September 1945, along with Frank Berryman, James Cannan
James Harold Cannan
Major General James Harold Cannan, CB, CMG, DSO, VD was an Australian Army brigadier general in the First World War and the Quartermaster General during the Second World War....
, John Northcott
John Northcott
Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during World War II, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan...
, Jack Stevens
Jack Stevens
Major General Sir Jack Edwin Stawell Stevens KBE, CB, DSO, ED was a senior officer in the Australian Army during the Second World War...
and George Wootten
George Wootten
Major General Sir George Frederick Wootten KBE, CB, DSO & Bar, ED , was an Australian soldier, public servant, right wing political activist and solicitor. He rose to the rank of temporary Major General during World War II....
. The recommendation was turned down by the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government as it was not Labor Party policy to award knighthoods at this time. Following the election of the coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government in the 1949 election
Australian federal election, 1949
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
, Blamey wrote to the new Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
, again requesting honours for his generals. This time he was successful, and Burston was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(military division) in 1952.
Burston became fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1945. He served as Chief Commissioner of St John Ambulance Australia
St John Ambulance Australia
St John Ambulance Australia is a self-funding charitable organisation dedicated to helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger. It is part of an international organisation that consists of eight Priories that form the Order of St John.- History :St John First Aid training centres...
from 1945 to 1957 and receiver-general of the Priory in Australia from 1957. Burston served as director of several companies, including David Syme & Co. (the publisher of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
newspaper), Western Mining Corporation
WMC Resources
WMC Resources Limited was an Australian diversified mining and fertilizer company formerly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. WMC was an acronym for Western Mining Corporation. It was delisted on 29 June 2005 following a successful takeover by BHP Billiton...
, Great Western Consolidated, New Coolgardie, and Koolgardie Southern. He was a medical advisor to the Australian Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
and National Mutual Life Association.
Burston enjoyed playing golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.He was involved in thoroughbred racing both as a punter
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and as a racehorse owner. He was elected Chairman of the Moonee Valley Racing Club
Moonee Valley Racing Club
The Moonee Valley Racing Club is located at the Moonee Valley racecourse on McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds . It is one of three racing clubs in the Melbourne metropolitan area; the others are the Victoria Racing Club and the Melbourne Racing Club...
following the death of C. F. (Charlie) Taylor in 1952. Burston increased the prize money of the Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
, taking £1,000 from the Moonee Valley Cup and adding another £1,000 to give the two races equal prize money of £4,000. This made the Cox Plate the richest weight for age
Weight for Age
Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
race in Australia. In announcing the decision, Burston described the prize money as "fitting to the class of horses competing", noting that it had drawn fields with winners such as Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
in 1930 and 1931; Chatham
Chatham (horse)
Chatham was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse that was bred by Percy Miller at the Kia Ora Stud near Scone in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.-Pedigree:...
in 1932 and 1934; Ajax in 1938; Flight
Flight (horse)
Flight was an Australian Thoroughbred racemare that was the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia. Her courageous efforts made her a crowd favourite during the post World War II era and she had victories over some of the great horses of the time including Shannon, Bernborough, Royal Gem and...
in 1945 and 1946; and Hydrogen, the 1952 winner that would go on to win it again in 1953. In 1956, Burston announced a long range plan to increase the prize money to £10,000, although this would not be achieved until 1964. Crowds at the race meetings at Moonee Valley had fallen from an average of 35,000 per meeting in 1948–49 to 25,000 in 1952–53. To lure punters back, the club expanded facilities. A new public grandstand, named the Burston Grandstand in his honour, was built at a cost of £200,000. This facility was first used for the Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
meeting in 1958.
Burston died on 21 August 1960 in South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
. He was survived by his daughter Elizabeth, who was married to Dr Christopher Sangster, an Adelaide physician, and his sons Samuel, a pastoralist in the Western District of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and Robin, a physician at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a 340 bed acute tertiary referral hospital in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.-History:...
. Burston was cremated after a military funeral
Military funeral
A military funeral is a specially orchestrated funeral given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards of honor, the firing of volley shots as a salute,...
at Christ Church, South Yarra. A portrait by Sir William Dargie
William Dargie
Sir William Alexander Dargie CBE was an Australian painter, known especially for his portrait paintings. He holds the record for the most Archibald Prize wins; eight. He was an official Australian War Artist during World War II.- Biography :William Dargie was born in Footscray, Victoria, the first...
was purchased by a fund subscribed to by a large number of medical officers and presented to him at The Australasian Medical Congress in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 1948. Today, it is in his family's possession. Another portrait, by Sir Ivor Hele
Ivor Hele
Sir Ivor Henry Thomas Hele, CBE was an Australian artist. He was the longest serving war artist for the Australian War Memorial and completed more commissioned works than any other Australian artist in the history of Australian art.He was the first war artist appointed in the Second World War, and...
, is held by the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
.