| Rowley Richards Part 1 |
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Training and fighting in Singapore 1941 and 1942.
Early days as a POW.
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| Rowley Richards Part 2 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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
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| Bill Fitch NX8352 - 2/3 Motor Ambulance
Convoy. |
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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
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| Charles William (Bill) Gray Private- 2/4 Machine
Gun Battalion WX10378 |
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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
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| Roy Oswald Young- 2/4 Casualty Clearing Station
VX42565 |
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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
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| Nurse Pat Darling (nee Gunther) |
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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
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5 PART
6 PART
7
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| Medical Officer Capt Lloyd Cahill |
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Medical Officer Capt Lloyd Cahill 2/19 Bn and "F"
Force on the Burma Thailand Railway (Songkurai area)
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6 PART
7
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| Captain Les Poidevin |
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Captain Les Poidevin - Medical Officer - Captured
Timor moved to Java - Did 148 Major Operations.
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4 PART
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6 PART
7
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| Private Max Venables |
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Private Max Venables - 8 Division Ammunition Sub
Park - Malaya, Captured Singapore - Thailand (F Force) - Burma (at
Tanbaya Hospital Camp).
PART
1 PART
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3 PART
4 PART
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6 PART
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11
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| John Schurmann 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion |
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John Schurmann 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion - Wounded
and Captured Singapore – with A force to the Burma end of the
Burma Thai Railway (BTR). With the Recovery Team on the BTR Sep to Oct
1945. Also his wife Daphne.
PART
1 PART
2 PART
3 PART
4 PART
5 PART
6 PART
7 PART
8
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| Stuart Simpson Captain TX2188 |
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Stuart Simpson Captain TX2188 Dental Officer 2/4
Casualty Clearing Station and with “A” Force in
Burma. Then in Thailand and finally after 15 August 1945 at the
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
PART 1
PART
2 PART
3 PART
4
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| Jim Elliott WX8619 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion |
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Jim Elliott WX8619 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion
– Arrived Singapore 24 Jan 1942. Manned the area of the major
Japanese thrust. Tp Thailand as part of “D” Force.
Then on the Byuoki Maru to Japan. Medical Officers commented on Capts
Phil Millard and David Hinder.
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10
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| David Peter ( Digby) Gray |
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David Peter ( Digby) Gray HMAS Perth. Enlisted
when 18. To Burma Oct 42. Chosen for Japan Party at Tamuang to go
through Saigon. Blockaded. Then to Singapore. In River Valley Road and
Blakan Matti Island and Changi Gaol.
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1 PART
2 PART
3 PART
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6 PART
7 PART
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| Gavin Campbell (Lieutenant RAN). |
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On HMAS Perth when sunk. Leg broken. In 1942 to
the Burma end of the line. Colonel Coates remarked that his broken leg
repair was a good as many in Austrlai. Met his brother on the Burma end
of the line. In Nakhon Nayok when the war ended.
PART
1 PART
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10
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11
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| Osman Blau (Lieutenant Engineer) |
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To Burma with 'A' Force May 42. To Siam when the
construction of the
rail line complete. Back to the Burma end in charge of a party working
on bridging. At War’s end in charge of a POW camp.
PART
1 PART
2 PART
3 PART
4 PART
5 PART
6
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| Robert McK (Bobby) Shoobridge - 2/3 Motor
Ambulance Convoy |
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Under command of Maj Robert Dick with doctor
Captain Des Brennan.
Part of Operation 'Matador' on the Thailand border December 41. In Aug
42 sent on the ship Fukki Maru to Formasoa (Taiwan), Chosen (Korea) and
ultimately to Manchuko (Manchuria). 16 Australians arrived at Mukden ,
Mancharia 11 Nov 1942. Also 3 NZs and 81 Brits and approx 1,300
Americans. Temperature in Mukden often 30 degrees below.
PART
1 PART
2 PART
3 PART
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6
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| John (8th Div Signals) and Vera Parkes (WAAAF) |
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In Malaya 1041. Captured in Singapore. To Thailand
Apr 1943 as part of 'F' Force. In Pond’s Party with Captain Roy Mills
the sole doctor for 712 POWs. Pond’s Party moved nearly a dozen times.
Returned to Singapore 1944 and there until end of War. Worked on
Singapore airfield. Met and married Vera after the war.
PART 1
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2 PART 3
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4 PART 5
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6 PART 7
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8 PART 9
PART
10 PART
11
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| Lt Harry Medlin 2/1 Fortress Coy RAE Timor |
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Present at surrender to Nips. His time as POW on
Timor and Java. Comments on the Padres and Doctors on Timor. His move
to Java. POW Camps on Java. Concert 10 Nov 42 -Goodnight Melody
PART 1
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2 PART
3 PART
4 PART
5 PART
6 PART
7 PART
8 PART
9 PART
10 PART 11
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12 PART 13
PART
14
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| Gordon Nichol Medical Orderly 2/3 Motor Ambulance
Company |
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Part of 'Operation Matador' on Siam border - Last
Ambulance across Causeway - To Siam as member F Force - Contact with
Australian Medcal Officers Major Hunt,Captain Frank Cahill and Brit
interpreter Maj Cyril Wild - To Tanbaya with many sick - Admirer of
Chaplain Duckworth. Return to Singapore by train 1944.
PART 1
PART
2 PART
3 PART
4 PART
5 PART
6
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| Ron Earle 2/6 Field Company RAE. |
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To Singapore 1941. - 'A' Force to Burma on
Toyohashi Maru, Victoria Point, Tavoy, Ye. - MO Capt Alec (Hoppy) White
- 105 anf 55 Kilo camps. Train to Siam - Barges at Wampo - Later doing
Maintenace up line - Fellow POW Alex Hodgson
PART 1
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2 PART
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4 PART
5 PART
6 PART
7
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| Fred Ransome Smith |
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Fred Ransome Smith (Lt Fred Smith) 5 Suffolks.
Artist before the War - Arrived Singapore Feb 1942 - IN vicinity of
road block that the surrender party moved forward from on 15 Feb 42. To
the Burma Thailand Railway Oct 42. AT Chungkai, Kanchanaburi, Non
Pladuc and Nakhon Pathom.
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1
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2
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6 PART
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PART
9
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10 PART
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12 PART
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19 PART
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| H.S. (Mick) Kildey |
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H.S. (Mick) Kildey 2/10 Field Ambulance NX46015 -
Medical Orderly on Malayan mainland and Singapore. Swiss Club, Manor
House, St Andrews Cathedral - Changi - Roberts Bks Hospital-, With 'C'
Force to Japan )Nagasaki) Nov 42 on Kamakura Maru then to Kobe. Dutch
doctor Eichmann. Work in Kawasaki Shipyards for 2 and half years. To
Camp 26 on Kyushu Island mining.
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7
PART 8
PART 9
PART 10 PART 11 PART 12
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| Ken Gray |
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Ken Gray 2/12 Field Company RAE Captured on
Singapore. To Thailand as a part of 'F' Force. Separated from
Australians and in Songkurai Camp. Sick in hospital hut. Beside Gordon
Highlander Jim Birse from Inverurie, Scotland . Returned to Singapore
44 and 45. Met Birse in Scotland 30 years after the war.
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7
PART 8
PART 9
PART 10 PART 11
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More coming soon...
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