Eric Vernon Barling MBE MB BS (1911 - 1978)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Education 1.2 Military 1.3 Marriage 1.4 Medical 1.5 Death 1.6 Vernon Barling Memorial Fellowship 2 Sources 3 See also

Biography

Eric Barling MBE MB BS FRCS FRACS FACS was born on 26th April 1911 in Petersham, New South Wales, Australia. He was the second son of Doctor James Barling, a general practitioner, and Caroline Morgan, daughter of a general practitioner. ^[1]

Education

After completing his formal education at Trinity Grammar School, Dulwich Hill and The King's School, Parramatta, Eric entered the University of Sydney, studying medicine.

He was a Renwick and Caird Scholar, graduating with first class honours with the dual degrees Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and Bachelor of Surgery (BS) and the University Gold Medal in 1935. ^[2]

Eric was appointed a Resident at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown.

Military

On 24th April 1940, Eric was commissioned as a medial officer with the rank of Captain in the Second Australian Imperial Force for service overseas in the Second World War. He was posted to the 2/5th Australian General Hospital, Australian Army Medical Corps. ^[3][4] On 9th April 1941, the 2/5th AGH was re-deployed from Palestine ^[5] for Greece. As the military situation quickly deteriorated and it became obvious that the Government of Greece would surrender to the Germans, all the female and many of the male hospital staff were evacuated back to Palestine, leaving 165 (including six doctors) to look after the patients who could not be evacuated. On 27th April 1941, all these people (including Eric, who was one of these doctors), together with thousands of Australian soldiers, became Prisoners of War. ^[6] He was held in Stalag IX-C near Bad Sulza, between Erfurt and Leipzig in Thuringia, Stalag IX in Kloster Haina in Hesse, and Officier Lager (Oflag) IX-AH in Spangenberg Castle in northeastern Hesse. ^[7] He was repatriated to the United Kingdom on 25th April 1945 after being freed by soldiers of the US 3rd Army. He was demobilised from the AIF on 28th May 1946. ^[8] He retired from the Armed Forces on 22nd January 1963.

Eric was Mentioned in Despatches (equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry), gazetted in London December 1941. ^[9] and appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) on 1st November 1945. ^[10]

His brothers Joseph Somers Barling and Geoffrey William Barling also served during the war, Joseph attaining the rank of Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force and Geoffrey a Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Mechanical and Electrical Engineers.

Marriage

In December 1947 Eric married Joan Deacon in St Phillips' Church of England (Anglican Church), Church Hill, Sydney. Joan was the daughter of Mr & Mrs N C Deacon of Wickford, Essex, England.^{[11] [12]}

Medical

He was for many years a clinical teacher in the Department of Surgery of the University of Sydney.

Titles/Qualifications:

• MRCS and FRCS 1946
• MB BS Sydney 1935
• FRACS 1948
• FACS 1960

Death

Eric passed away on 24th April 1978 in Sydney. Beloved husband of Jennie, loving father of John, Sally (Kel), James and Susan. ^[13][14] Father in law of Sandy, and John. ^[15] There is a memorial plaque located at the New South Wales Garden of Remembrance adjacent to Sydney War Cemetery Memorial Avenue, Rookwood. Area: Wall 22 Wall: 022 Row: Panel: D ^[16]

Vernon Barling Memorial Fellowship

Established in 1981 by Eric's colleagues at the University of Sydney, the object of this Fellowship is to assist young surgeons in Australia who wish to undertake further clinical surgical training overseas prior to taking up hospital appointments in Australia. ^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ birth certificate - Eric V Barling 1911 at Petersham, Sydney, New South Wales. Ref# 32397/1911. Parents James E & Caroline F
2. ↑ article (also contain photo) - The Sun newspaper 02 Feb 1935 page 3
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs: NX444 Captain Eric Vernon Barling; accessed 3 Aug 2021
4. ↑ NAA Service Records
5. ↑ AWM Group Portrait of former Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Doctors in Gaza
6. ↑ 2/5th AGH
7. ↑ POW Memorial Ballarat; accessed 3 Aug 2021
8. ↑ Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 07 Nov 1946 Page 3125
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial: Mentioned in Despatches; accessed 3 Aug 2021
10. ↑ Australian Honours: MBE; accessed 3 Aug 2021
11. ↑ certificate - Eric Vernon Barling & Joan Elizabeth Deacon 1948 at Sydney, New South Wales. Ref# 17/1948
12. ↑ wedding Article including wedding day photograph - Sydney Morning Herald newspaper 18 Dec 1947 Page 15
13. ↑ Death certificate - Eric Vernon Barling 1978 at New South Wales (district not recorded, however he was resident at Gordon, Sydney) Ref# 9208/1978. Parents James Eric Vernon Barling & Caroline Frances Margare(t)
14. ↑ Death Notice - Sydney Morning Herald newspaper 26 Apr 1978
15. ↑ Funeral Notice - Sydney Morning Herald newspaper 27 Apr 1978 page 11
16. ↑ DVA Memorial
17. ↑ Vernon Barling Memorial Fellowship

See also

• Bio and Obituary written by The Royal College of Surgeons of England.