Description
Object description
British private and NCO served with Royal Army Medical Corps in GB and France, 1939-1941; NCO served with 1st Malay Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps in Malaya, 1941-1942; prisoner of war in Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-8/1942, aboard SS Fukkai Maru during voyage from Singapore, Malaya to Pusan, Korea, 8/1942-9/1942, in Jinsen Camp, Chosen, Korea, 9/1942-10/1942 and Hoten No 4 Camp, Cheng Chia Tun, Hoten, Manchuria, 11/1942-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as private and NCO with Royal Army Medical Corps in GB and France, 1939-1941: joining Territorial Army, 1939; training in GB, 1939; establishment of military hospital at Étaples, France, evacuation of wounded from Boulogne, France aboard TS Biarritz, 5/1940; radiography course in London, GB; training recruits in Hertfordshire, GB. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Dominion Monarch from GB to Singapore, Malaya, 1941: embarkation; route taken. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Malay Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps in Malaya, 1941-1942: atmosphere on arrival in Singapore, 11/1941; initial duties re-equipping hospital at Johore Bahru.
REEL 2 Continues: reporting to unit, composition and training of unit; setting up No 1 Coy, 1st Malay Field Ambulance emergency field dressing station in rubber plantation; use of deserted planter's house; lack of information and isolation of unit; morale of casualties; approach of Japanese forces; taking charge of dressing station; foraging for supplies during battle; exhaustion of medical staff; discussion of surrender and escape possibilities; withdrawal of unit to civilian hospital in Singapore.
REEL 3 Continues: his work in hospital; reaction to hearing of surrender, 15/2/1942; evacuation of civilian patients; transfer to and work at temporary military hospital. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-8/1942: absence of Japanese guards; organising medical facilities; rations; pooling and distribution of supplies; appearance of skin diseases; symptoms of beri beri and use of Marmite as cure; policing boundaries of Royal Army Medical Corps sector of camp; control of movement between sectors; bowing to Indian National Army guards.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude of prisoners of war towards Indian National Army guards; selection process to leave camp, 8/1945. Recollections of voyage aboard SS Fukkai Maru from Singapore, Malaya to Pusan, Korea via Formosa, 20/8/1942-22/9/1942: fumigation of prisoners of war; vermin aboard ship; crowded conditions on board; problem of dysentery; washing and latrine arrangements; rations; unloading bauxite cargo at Formosa; prisoner of war work parties in Takao, Formosa; casual Japanese supervision.
REEL 5 Continues: prisoner of war sabotage on Formosa; reloading of SS Fukkai Maru; parading of prisoners of war on arrival in Pusan, Korea. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Jinsen Camp, Chosen, Korea, 9/1942-10/1942: accommodation; prisoner of war diet and deteriorating health; behaviour of Japanese guards; stone breaking work; contracting beri beri. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Hoten No 4 Camp, Cheng Chia Tun, Manchuria, 11/1942-8/1945: rail journey to Manchuria; accommodation; heating; organisation of Allied prisoners of war; reasons for poor health of American prisoners of war; organisation of medical care; poorly trained American medical orderlies; improved diet.
REEL 6 Continues: high death rate amongst American prisoners of war; problem of preventing spread of dysentery; organising supply of blankets for dysentery victims; disposal of dead; winter storage of corpses; degree of knowledge of progress of war; gleaning news from smuggled Japanese newspapers; removal to new branch camp in Mukden Camp, 1944; Japanese control of Red Cross parcels; signing parole; Japanese treatment of American attempted escapees; guards' beating of prisoners of war.
REEL 7 Continues: Japanese broadcasting of prisoner of war messages; prisoner of war entertainments; prisoner of war gambling and plight of debtors; attempted suicides; belief that Japanese could not win the war; influx of prisoners of war from Pacific islands, 1945; prisoners of war fear of being massacred by Japanese; United Army Air Force air raids and bombing of camp, 12/1944. Aspects of liberation and return to GB, 1945: arrival of United States Army paratroopers; liberation of camp and news of end of war, 8/1945; American air drop of supplies.
REEL 8 Continues: dangers of air supply drops; arrival of Soviet forces; ceremonial disarming of Japanese; fear of disorder in town; destitute state of Manchus civilians; journey to Dairen and Port Arthur and return to GB, 9/1945; contracting tuberculosis after release; his attitude towards Japanese.