| Place | Asia: Korea |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | PR03496 |
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 1 wallet: 1 cm |
| Object type | Memoir |
| Maker |
Johns, Gordon |
| Place made | Australia: South Australia |
| Date made | 2003 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
Korea, 1950-1953 |
| Copying Provisions | Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction. |
Johns, Gordon (Captain, b.1942)
Description
Collection relating to the Korean War service of Captain Gordon Johns, RAAMC, Japan and Korea, 1953.
Collection consists of a written memoir entitled "The Physiotherapist Gets to Korea at Last." This 8-page memoir describes Johns' time spent in Korea as a physiotherapist within the RAAMC. It begins by describing Johns' movement from Japan, where he was a member of BCOF, to Korea. The memoir contains various anecdotal stories about Johns' time in Korea. This includes the constant difficulty of establishing a semi-permanent surgery to be able to assist patients with their rehabilitation. The memoir also contains accounts of the friendships struck between Australian and Allied medical staff. The last 2 pages of the memoir discuss the fates of several soliders both during and after the war, along with Johns' own post-war experiences relating to his service, such as his attendance at the opening of the Korean War Memorial on ANZAC Parade, and affiliations with the RSL.
History / Summary
Johns' memoir indicates that he was the only Medical Corps physiotherapist to go to Korea during the war. Johns' memoir mentions that he met his wife, Lorraine, a nurse with the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps, while serving, 1953-1954.