Wallace Roy Dunstan

Wallace Roy Dunstan was born on 8th January 1895 in Tumbarumba, NSW, to Francis Henry Murphy and Elizabeth Rebecca Dunstan.

On 14th March 1916, he enlisted at Tallangatta, Victoria. At the time, he was a single, 21-year-old farmhand from Corryong, Victoria. He was allocated Regimental Number 10238 and posted to the 10th Field Company, Engineers. Wallace named his sister, Elizabeth Smith, of Corryong, as his next of kin. After initial training, he embarked on HMAT A54 Runic at Melbourne, Victoria, on 20th June 1916.

On 14th August 1918, Wallace was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound to the right thigh. He was evacuated to England and admitted to the Beaufort War Hospital at Bristol. After a month, he was transferred to the No. 4 Convalscant Depot at Hurdcott in Wiltshire. His service records indicate that he did not rejoin the 10th Engineers but was still in England when the Armistice took effect.

Wallace had two other stints in medical care. The first was in the 3rd New Zealand Field Ambulance for four days in June 1917 with influenza, while the second was for 18 days in June 1918 at the 39th General Hospital, Le Havre, suffering from a venereal disease.

On 19th February 1919, he returned to Australia aboard the SS Orca, with the rank of Driver. He was discharged on 15th May 1919, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service during the war.

Wallace married Mary Earl in 1920. The couple settled in Corryong, where Wallace gained employment as a labourer. By 1937, the Dunstan family (at least one child, Roy Stephen, had been born in Corryong in 1929) had moved to South Wangaratta, where Wallace was farming. He passed away on 8th December 1963 at Wangaratta, Victoria and was buried in Wangaratta, Victoria.