J. W. Legge

John Williamson Legge (3 April 1917 – 29 October 1996),[1] was an Australian scientist and activist.

History

Legge was born at 18 Beaver Street, East Malvern, Victoria the only son of (Congregationalist) Rev. G(eorge) A(lexander) Williamson Legge (1871 – 22 March 1931)[2] and his wife Florence Legge, née Laver.[3]

He was educated at Geelong College and the University of Melbourne. The year of his graduating BSc is not known, but he completed 3rd year Chemistry in 1935.[4]

He moved to Sydney to work under Dr "Rudi" Lemberg at the Kolling Institute of Medical Research under a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) studying blood pigment metabolism.[5] By 1939 he was thinking seriously about air-raid precautions, including gas attacks on civilians.[6]

From 1942 to 1946 Legge worked with the Australian Chemical Warfare Research & Experimental Section on research into protective clothing and other aspects of defence against chemical warfare attacks in tropical conditions, including mustard gas trials at Townsville, North Brook Island, Proserpine and Mission Beach, involving Australian Defence Force volunteers. Legge and a fellow biochemist (later Prof. Sir) Hugh Ennor designed and oversaw the construction of a 100 cubic metres (3,500 cu ft) stainless-steel temperature-controlled gas chamber.[5] In later life he supported claims for compensation by those volunteers who suffered chronic illness that may been a result of those trials.[5] The 1989 film Keen as Mustard documented these events.

In 1946 he was contributing articles on science for the Tribune.[7]

Legge was granted a fellowship which enabled him to spend two years in England, working at the Molteno Institute, Cambridge University under Professor David Keilin. On returning to Australia he was employed by the University of Melbourne as a biochemistry lecturer, later senior lecturer, retiring around 1981.

Politics, science and pacifism

Legge joined the Communist Party in 1936 and helped distribute the Tribune at a time when the paper was banned.[8]

He was, in September 1949, a charter member of the Australian Peace Council.[9]

He wrote for the magazine Australian Left Review:

  • Legge, Jack (1983). "The Earth's Fate (review)". Australian Left Review. p. 59.; and
  • Legge, Jack. "j. d. bernal (obituary)". Australian Left Review.

Family

Legge married Gertrude Guiterman on 29 June 1940. They had a son, John Michael Legge, on 9 January 1942.

References
  1. "John Williamson Legge". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  2. "Personal". Tribune. No. 16, 801. Victoria, Australia. 23 March 1931. p. 7. Retrieved 20 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Family Notices". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 21, 658. Victoria, Australia. 25 December 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 20 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "University of Melbourne". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 27, 902. Victoria, Australia. 23 January 1936. p. 4. Retrieved 20 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Jack Legge". University of Melbourne. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  6. "Mr Bruxner and A.R.P." The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 31, 626. New South Wales, Australia. 12 May 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 20 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Science for the People". Tribune. No. 197. New South Wales, Australia. 15 March 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 20 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Name of Red Witness Suppressed". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. 97, no. 29, 967. South Australia. 30 October 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 8 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Australian Peace Council Launched". Tribune. No. 551. New South Wales, Australia. 7 September 1949. p. 5. Retrieved 3 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
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