New Video Section. There is a new section of the website containing clips of video interveiws conducted by Lt. Col. Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (retired) JP. The first installment is two clips of an interveiw with Captain (doctor) Peter Hendry. Click here to go to the video page.

Future developments. The section devoted to sketches, drawings and poems has now been open for some time. This includes material which has been provided by ex POWs or family members. We have added  some audio and video clips. Fred Ransome Smith (Lt Fred (Smudger) Smith of 5 Suffolks) continues to produce sketches illustrating many of these articles.

Additional material on this site. I continue to receive material and information, which has real relevance to the experiences of POWs of the Japanese. To honour the efforts of those people, it will be my privilege to include their material.

Assistance sought. The theme of my website commenced as being related to the Medical Officers on the Burma Thailand Railway. I have managed to record something of the Medical Officers on the BTR, having completed stories on 28 of the 43 doctors. I would like to complete the original aim and am seeking information on Lt Col Norm Eadie, Majors Hobbs, Fisher, Chalmers, Captains Cumming, White, Parker, Wright, Majors Stevens, EA Mardsen, Andrews and Captain Crankshaw. If anyone has any information on these men I would greatly appreciate receiving same.
However, it should be noted that the theme of my website has changed to become the much broader subject of the Prisoners of War of the Japanese. This, of course, includes the civilian POWs (women and children), who in many cases experienced worse conditions than the servicemen.

Two Medical Officers  - Captains Bristow and Clive Boyce were in Japan and articles on them will appear soon

Information sought.There are many little known areas associated with the Burma Thailand POW experience. One of the least known areas is the construction of the Mergui (escape) Route which the Japs ordered be built between April and August 1945. One thousand convalescents were taken from the Hospital Camp at Nakhon Pathom and forced to labour on this project. Reports indict that between one third and one half died on the project. It seems there were two Medical Officer with the POWs. One was Dutch and the other Major Vincent Bennett RAMC. If anyone has information on the Mergui Road I would appreciate receiving. (There is some material on the COFEPOW website – see the links section of this site).

Pilgrimage: The Remembrance Day trips to Thailand continue to be booked out. The numbers are restricted to one bus of max 45. The weather conditions in November are cooler and less humid than in April.

Now for the bad news:  Some one has been placing rubbish entries on the Guest Book. In fact, on one day alone over 300 rubbish entries were made.  Further problems were caused by the assault and all Guest Book entries after 26 March were lost.  If anyone placed an entry in that period could I ask you to reinsert.

Submissions & information welcome,
Please use the contact page or email: pgwinstanley@cambraivillage.com.au