Research & Articles by Lt. Col. Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (Retired), JP
Research, Interviews and Articles about the Prisoners Of War of the Japanese who built the Burma to Thailand railway during world war two. Focusing on the doctors and medical staff among the prisoners. Also organised trips to Thailand twice a year.
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Videos
Excerpts of video taped interviews conducted by Lt. Col. Peter Winstanley OAM RFD JP
 

 

Rowley Richards Part 1

Training and fighting in Singapore 1941 and 1942. Early days as a POW.

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Rowley Richards Part 2

A POW with “A” Force sent to Burma May 42. Contact with Captain Bill Drower a British Officer who was an interpreter with “A” Force. Concerts. Joining of the railway 17 October 1943. Movement to Thailand.. Praise for his Medical Orderlies.

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Rowley Richards Part 3

Transported by ship to Japan.. Sinking of his ship the Rakyuo Maru. On lifeboat rowing to China. Sakata POW camp Japan. POW labour leased to Japanese industry. Japanese Medical Orderly. The Factors of Survival.

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Rowley Richards Part 4

In Burma. Dutch chemist Van Boxtell. Lt Col Coates the greatest doctor on the Burma Thailand Railway. In Saigon, the Brits accused Aussies of exaggerating conditions on the Railway.

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Captain (doctor) Peter Hendry - part 1

Prisoner of War Experiences. Captain (doctor) Peter Hendry speaks about the April 1943 march by 7,000 POWs as part of F-Force from Banpong (after 5 day train journey Singapore to Thailand crammed into steel rice trucks) to the Thailand Burma border. This was in over 40 degree centigrade heat, on jungle tracks of mud over 18 nights. This force had a very high death rate- over 60% British and 29% Australians.

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Captain (doctor) Peter Hendry - part 2

Captain (doctor) Peter Hendry speaks about some of the people forming F-Force on the Burma Thailand Railway during the second world war. Includes comments about Medical Officers Bruce Hunt, Lloyd Cahill, Frank Cahill, Colin Juttner, Bon Rogers, Roy Stevens, Roy Mills etc, British officer Lt Col Harris and the Japanese commander Colonel Banno.

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Captain Claude Anderson WX3464 - RMO 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion. 

Arrived Singapore 24 Jan 1941.  Surrender to the Japanese.  May 42 as member of 'A' Force, sent to Burma via Victoria Point.  Assisted Albert Coates with 60 amputations.  At Nakhon Nyok on surrender 1945.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4

 
Bill Fitch NX8352 - 2/3 Motor Ambulance Convoy. 

Medical Orderly F.W. (Bill) Fitch was deployed into Malaya prior to the Japanese entry into World War II he subsequently served in K-Force on the Burma-Thailand Railway. Evacuation of sick & wounded Malaya and Singapore - When POW worked in Roberts Barracks Allied Hospital - To Thailand as part of 'K' Force to keep the coolies alive - Kept in Thailand to the end of the war.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7 PART 8

 
Charles William (Bill) Gray Private- 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion WX10378

Capitulated Singapore. Unique experience- To Korea, via Formosa August 1942- In Keijo the Konan POW camps- Slaved in Carbide Foundry- Only a small number of 2/4 MG BN men with him.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7 PART 8 PART 9 PART 10

 
Roy Oswald Young- 2/4 Casualty Clearing Station VX42565

Trained to be Medical Orderly by Nurses- To Singapore on Queen Mary. 90 operations in one night- CCS in Lunatic Asylum in Johore- Work with Motor Ambulance Convoy- Roberts Barracks Allied Hospital- To Burma with “A” Force May 42- at Mergui and Tavoy before railway- Lt Col Coates- Malaraia- 55 Kilo Hospital Camp- Chemists- Amputations- Comparisons of Medical Officers- Nakhon Pathom Hospital Camp- 10,000 patients (actually 8,000)-

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7 PART 8 PART 9

 
Nurse Pat Darling (nee Gunther)

Nurse Pat Darling (nee Gunther) survived the Vyner Brook then became a POW for 42 months (Bangka and Sumatra)

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7

 
Medical Officer Capt Lloyd Cahill

Medical Officer Capt Lloyd Cahill 2/19 Bn and "F" Force on the Burma Thailand Railway (Songkurai area)

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7

 
Captain Les Poidevin

Captain Les Poidevin - Medical Officer - Captured Timor moved to Java - Did 148 Major Operations.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7

 
Private Max Venables

Private Max Venables - 8 Division Ammunition Sub Park - Malaya, Captured Singapore - Thailand (F Force) - Burma (at Tanbaya Hospital Camp).

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7 PART 8 PART 9 PART 10 PART 11

 
 
More coming soon...