Most of the survivors of the Burma-Thailand Railway owe their lives to the devotion of the medical staff. This article honours the Australia Army Medical staff who risked their lives to support, save and comfort the sick and dying workers on the railway. Many thanks go to Peter Winstanley for preparing the original article..
Medical Officers (Doctors) on the Burma Thailand Railway during WW2.
At the fall of Singapore there were about 100 Medical and Dental Officers who became Prisoners of War. There were probably a greater number of Medical Officers from the other Allied forces. 43 Australian Medical Officers and 5 Dental Officers were sent to Burma & Thailand in support of the POWs on the Railway. A list of these officers together with the identity of the Force to which they were attached, follows.
List of Australian Army Medical Corp Officers on the Burma-Thailand Railway
A FORCE To Burma May 1942
| HAMILTON, T | Lt-Col | SMO | 2/4 CCS | NX70505 |
| COATES, A E | Lt-Col | 2/10 AGH | VX39198 | |
| EADIE, N B | Lt-Col | 2/13 AGH | VX14845 | |
| HOBBS, A F | Maj | 2/4 CCS | SX10761 | |
| FISHER, W E | Maj | 2/4 CCS | NX70506 | |
| CHALMERS, J S | Maj | 2/4 CCS | TX2150 | |
| KRANTZ, S S | Maj | 2/4 CCS | SX13978 | |
| RICHARDS, C R B | Capt | 2/15 Fd Regt | NX70273 | |
| ANDERSON, C D | Capt | 2/4 MGB | WX3464 | |
| CUMMING, G D | Capt | 2/10 Fd Amb | NX70385 | |
| BRERETON, T L G | Capt | 2/4 CCS | NX76108 | |
| HIGGIN, J P | Capt | 2/4 CCS | NX34949 | |
| WHITE, A J M | Capt | 2/4 CCS | TX6074 | |
| SIMPSON, S T | Capt (Dentist) | 2/4 CCS | TX2188 | |
| TREVELEVEN WJK | Capt (Dentist) | 25 Dental Unit | VX39266 |
D FORCE To Southern end of line March 1943
| HAZELTON, A R | Maj (Dentist) | SMO | 2/10 Fd Amb | NX35134 |
| PARKER, R G | Capt | 2/10 Fd Amb | NX71143 | |
| WRIGHT, R G | Capt | 2/10 AGH | NX70664 | |
| MILLARD, P T | Capt | 2/26 Bn | NX76511 | |
| HINDER, D | Capt | 2/19 Bn | NX76302 | |
| DUNCAN, I L | Capt | RAE | NX35135 | |
| FINIMORE L T | Capt (Dentist) | 32 Dental Unit | QX25482 |
DUNLOP FORCE To Southern end of line January 1943
| DUNLOP, E E | Lt-Col | 2/2 CCS | VX259 | |
| MOON, A A | Maj | 2/2 CCS | NX455 | |
| CORLETTE, E L | Maj | 2/2 CCS | NX350 | |
| CLARKE, J E R | Maj (Dentist) | 2/2 CCS | QX6245 | |
| GODLEE, T | Capt | 2/3 MGB | WX11057 |
F FORCE To Northern Thailand April 1943
| STEVENS, R H | Maj | SMO | 2/12 Fd Amb | NX39043 |
| HUNT, B A | Maj | 2/13 AGH | WX11177 | |
| ROGERS, E A | Maj | 2/13 AGH | TX2199 | |
| CAHILL, R L | Capt (Lloyd) | 2/19 Bn | NX35149 | |
| CAHILL, F J | Capt (Frank) | 2/9 Fd Amb | VX39702 | |
| HENDRY, P I A | Capt | 2/10 Fd Amb | NX35147 | |
| TAYLOR, J L | Capt | 2/30 Bn | NX70453 | |
| MILLS, R M | Capt | 2/10 Fd Amb | NX35139 | |
| BRAND, V | Capt | 2/29 Bn | VX39085 | |
| JUTTNER, C P | Capt | 2/9 Fd Amb | SX14044 | |
| MANNION R I | Capt (Dentist) | 33 Dental Unit | QX25481 |
H FORCE To Southern end of line 1943
| MARSDEN, E A | Capt (Dentist) | 2/10 AGH | NX39316 | |
| FAGAN, K J | Capt (Dentist) | 2/10 AGH | NX70643 | |
| WINCHESTER Mac K | Capt (Dentist) | 43 ADU | NX76600 |
L FORCE Deployed in medical support of natives August 1943
| ANDREWS, H L | Capt (Dentist) | 2/10 AGH | VX39316 | |
| MURPHY, P F | Maj | 2/10 Fld Amb | NX70489 | |
| CRANKSHAW, T P | Maj | 2/13 AGH Amb | VX62081 |
H FORCE To Southern end of line 1943
| ANDERSON, B H | Maj | DADMS | VX47449 | |
| DAVIES, G F S | Maj | 2/13 AGH | NX76351 | |
| HOGG, T G H | Maj | 2/13 AGH | TX2185 | |
| FREW, J K | Maj | 2/13 AGH | VX39181 | |
| DREVERMANN, E B Capt | Maj | 2/13 AGH | VX61260 |
None of the above officers are still alive. Peter Winstanley has produced articles on most of the Australian Medical Officers.
Many of the doctors remained virtually unknown following World War Two even though their work was as heroic as any servicemen on active duty. One has only to think of those eight Medical Officers who were attached to the 250,000 coolies (natives) to appreciate what a difficult and thankless task that would have been. Medical Orderlies fall into the same category.
The Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association is indebted to Lt Col (Retired) Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (JP) for his work on this subject.