When talking with Jim Allpike (2/4 and 2/3 MG Bn) he mentioned that he had been diagnosed with Black Water Fever by a Spanish Doctor who was on the line. This was in the vicinity of Wampo. I was not aware of there being a Spanish Doctor (Medical Officer) on the railway. However, on the very same day, I found a book called “Bamboo Doctor” in a second-hand book shop. Pavillard was the author. Pavillard was born in 1913 in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. He studied medicine at Madrid and Edinburgh University. The latter had a “tropical medicine” unit. Hence his familiarity with Black Water Fever. He was employed as a civilian doctor in Malaya when the Japanese invasion took place in December 1941. As the allies were being pushed down the Malayan Pensinsular Pavillard ranged over the front and at times was forward of the troops. On 19 December 1941, he enlisted as a Medical Officer in the Straits Settlement Volunteer Forces as a Lieutenant. Later he was amongst the over 100,000 allies who were taken prisoner of war at capitulation on Singapore on 15 February 1942. Subsequently, he became part of the work force on the Burma Thailand Railway and was involved at the southern area, as far north as Kinsayok. Some significant things Pavillard did whilst on the line included
Some West Australian connections with Pavillard are:
Click Here to read Ken Woods letter to Pavillard ( 0.5mb PDF file )
Notes prepared by Lt Col (Retired) Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (JP) (E-mail) peterwinstanley@bigpond.com
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