Malcolm Lionel Robert Morley (1908 - 1988)

Born 1908 in Westport, West Coast, New Zealand

Husband of Gertrude Aphra Willis — married 20 Nov 1937 (to 1946) in London, England

Died 19 Feb 1988 at about age 80 in Portsmouth, England

Biography

MALCOLM LIONEL ROBERT MORLEY M.B. CHB.N.Z. F.R.C.S.

parents : ARTHUR EDMUND MORLEY AND MABEL HELEN PERROTT married 1903 in New Zealand.

Malcolm Lionel Robert Morley was also undertaking postgraduate work in London when he married Trudie Willis, graduating F.R.C.S. He had been at Otago University in Dunedin with Trudie and graduated MB ChB the same year, in 1934. At the outbreak of war Robert Morley joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (service number : 328839) Trudie also joined the Emergency Medical Service, working as anaesthetist for Robert Morley who was superintendent at Tilbury Hospital on the south Essex coast.

TWO NEW ZEALAND DOCTORS MARRIED Dr. M.L.R.Morley, son of Mr A.E.Morley of Westport and the late Mrs Morley, and his bride leaving Chelsea Old Church, London after their marriage on November 20th. The bride was Dr. Gertrude Willis, daughter of Mrs J.E.Cummings of Matamata.

Trudie divorced Robert Morley in London in 1946, to marry Jack Carl Rudolph (John) Hindenach. Robert did not marry again.

British Medical Journal Vol:296 30th April 1988 page:1268 [1]

Obituary

M.L.R. MORLEY MB CHB FRCSED

Mr. M.L.R. Morley, formerly consultant ear nose and throat surgeon to the Portsmouth and Chichester group of hospitals, died on 19th February aged 80.

Malcolm Lionel Robert (Bob) Morley was born and educated in New Zealand, graduating from the Medical School of Otago University in 1934. After a year of house appointments, he came to the United Kingdom for further post-graduate training. While resident medical officer at Whipps Cross Hospital he developed scepticaemia, which was complicated by an infective arthritis of his ankle. This left him with a permanent limp and initially prevented him from joining the services in the second world war, but after four years as resident surgical officer at the Seamen's Hospital, Tilbury, where he was responsible for treating all ear, nose and throat as well as all surgical conditions, he managed to be accepted as a surgical specialist with the rank of Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Shortly after being commissioned in 1944 he was appointed surgeon to 195 airlanding field ambulance unit of the 6th Airborne Division, with which he later served as surgeon specialist at military hospitals in Berlin, Toulon and Paris. On leaving the army in 1947 he decided on a career in ear nose and throat work and went to the Portsmouth and Chichester hospital group. He served there with distinction for 26 years until his retirement in 1973.

Robert was a diffident man who showed sympathetic understanding to his patients. His work resulted in a remarkably low number of post-operative complications, a consequence of his sound clinical judgement and operating skill. Failing health in the later years of his happy retirement in Portsmouth prevented him from returning to New Zealand which had always been his intention.