Description
Object description
British nurse served with Burma Hospital Corps at No 8 Burma General Hospital, Maymyo, Burma, 3/1942-4/1942; escaped from Mandalay, Burma to Calcutta, India, 4/1942
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as wife of police officer in Arakan, Burma, 1938-1942: arrival in Burma, 1938; touring with husband Albert Phipps around forests of Arakan; suspicion of Japanese civilians; reaction to Japanese attack on Burma, 1/1942. Recollection of period as volunteer nurse with No 2 Burma General Hospital, in Prome, Burma, 2/1942: recruitment to nursing profession; reaction of Burmese to Imperial Japanese Air Force raids on Rangoon; passage of refugees through Prome; return of Indian refugees to Rangoon; cholera outbreak in Indian refugee camps; emptying of Rangoon Central Jail and Minagaldon-Tadagale Lunatic Asylum, Prome; leaving Prome, 24/2/1942; road accidents involving Chinese Nationalist Army. Aspects of steamer journey from Prome to Mandalay, Burma, 2/1942: Sikh warder's escorting of convicts; placing of psychiatric patient with nuns.
REEL 2 Continues: taking over of cabin by Salvationist; patients tended to on board steamer; arrival in Mandalay. Recollections of period as nurse with Burma Hospital Corps attached to No 8 British General Hospital in Maymyo, Burma, 3/1942-4/1942: attempt to secure work at hospital; role in hospital; protocol in military hospital; failure of hospital to distribute food supplies; role of husband during retreat; joining official strength of hospital at husband's insistence; encounter with General Harold Alexander; suffering a bout of dysentery; a suspected cholera case.
REEL 3 Continues: influx of wounded soldiers; morale of British wounded; story of escape of soldier from Japanese; evacuation of hospital. Recollections of journey from Mandalay, Burma to Calcutta, India, 4/1942: wait on hospital train in siding; race to cross river bridge before it was demolished; sight of devastation in Mandalay, Burma; arrival in Shwebo, Burma and attempt to contact husband Second Lieutenant Albert Phipps; Imperial Japanese Air Force strafing attacks at Shwebo; evacuation of wounded onto hospital train at Shwebo; volunteer nurse who was turned off hospital train; story of attempt to airlift wounded out of Burma; arrival at Ye-U, Burma, 4/1942.
REEL 4 Continues: problems crossing jungle; disposals of belonging; encounter with British troops of 7th Armoured Bde; crossing River Chindwin, Burma; refusal to travel on steamer which was sunk by Imperial Japanese Air Force aircraft; crossing into India; conditions on road journey to Imphal, India; conditions in Manipur, India; rail journey to Calcutta, India; attitude of European women staying behind in Burma; attitude of Burmese to Japanese invasion.
REEL 5 Continues: story of meeting Aung San after the war; attitude of European civilians in Calcutta, India to refugees from Burma, 1942; question of threat to send male refugees back into Burma to aid troops.