37th Australian Camp Hospital

History
Name	37th Australian Camp Hospital
Where formed	Melville camp, Point Walter, Western Australia
Date formed	August 1940
Capacity	60 beds reducing to 30 beds in February 1944
Locations	Point Walter Reserve

General Information

The Melville Australian Army Camp was initially established in 1939 when the Army leased land from the Fremantle Council. After initial training at Northam, Militia units rotated through Melville Camp as part of the 13th Infantry Brigade Group. Accommodation was initially in tents with only the cookhouses, latrines, mess huts, showers etc in constructed buildings. Barrack huts were erected later amongst the trees which provided good cover.

When the war in the Pacific broke out in December 1941, all the units of the 13th Infantry Brigade Group entered camp at Melville Camp and trained in the surrounding bush areas.

Camp Hospital Melville was raised in August 1940 with 60 beds to service the 13th Infantry Brigade Group units that were starting to train at Melville Camp. They became 37th Australian Camp Hospital in April 1942 and were reduced to 30 beds in February 1944 before being disbanded in October 1944. The 122nd Australian Special Hospital occupied part of the site.

Staff

• Winifred Frances Thompson 10 May 1943 - 15 Nov 1944 - detached 10 May 1943 to 118th Australian General Hospital
• Edith Marion Rymer 22 Feb 1944 - 1 Mar 1944

Patients

• Richard Phillipson 26 Jan - 11 Feb 1942
• Oliver Benson Sharpe 27 Jan - 10 Feb 1942
• George Millman 13 - 19 Aug 1942
• Bernard (Jim) Johnson 13 - 20 Aug 1942
• John Francis Lean 13 Sep - 21 Oct 1942
• Arthur John Saw 4 - 18 Feb 1943
• Stanley Upton Hammond 17 - 20 Mar 1943
• James Gordon (Jock) Wheeler 5 - 9 Apr 1943
• Bernard (Jim) Johnson 14 - 19 May 1943 & 25 May - 6 Jun 1943
• Mervyn (Merv) James Rose 7 Jun 1944

Notes

The above information was taken from ozatwar.com.au/ausarmy/Melville camp.htm accessed 3 Aug 2019.