NX70273 Captain Charles Rowland Bromley Richards 2/15th Field Regiment, Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) and a prisoner of the Japanese in the Second World War, interviewed by Dr John Mitchell

Accession Number S01531
Collection type Sound
Measurement 2 hr 9 min
Object type Oral history
Physical description AGFA PEM 369 on 5 inch reel
Maker Richards, Charles Rowland Bromley 'Rowley'
Mitchell, John
Richards, C R
Date made 1 March 1991
Access Open
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright

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.
Description

NX70273 Captain Charles Rowland Bromley ‘Roly’ Richards, 2/15th Field Artillery Regiment, relates his experiences as a medical officer (MO) and prisoner of war (POW) in A Force. The interview covers his service before being posted overseas and through his imprisonment years. Although the interview concentrates on the medical conditions and treatments in the POW camps, there is also discussion on general camp life and survival techniques.

Medical conditions are extensively discussed including camp hygiene,upper respiratory tract infections, tinea, malaria, dysentery, beri-bei, pellagra, vitamin deficiencies, ulcers, oedema, cholera, congestive cardiac arrest, pneumonia, mental health, and a variety of injuries.

There is some discussion of medical kits, medication, equipment and training. It also includes descriptions of alternative treatments and equipment being used due to lack of supplies, including: repurposing blankets, spoons as medical equipment, fermenting rice, copper tubing for cannulas and repurposing stethoscopes.

People mentioned during interview: NX12312 Lieutenant Colonel John Considine O’Neill, John Loansaw, Lieutenant-Colonel H Whittbridge-Davies, Colonel Bob Dick , NX70474 Lieutenant John Forsyth Ross, NX28467 Sergeant Bertie Tate, VX39059 Captain Ronald Wellesley Greville, probably NX12595 Lieutenant Colonel Charles Groves Wright Anderson, NX32655 Corporal Frederick John ‘Pinkie’ Rhodes, Don Booth, Sergeant Jim ‘Old Silver’ Armstrong, VX503645 Lieutenant Colonel Albert Ernest Coates, VX14845 Lieutenant Colonel Norman Eadie, NX12296 Lieutenant Colonel John Munslow Williams, Padre ‘Pessimistic’ Pete, John Shaw, NX70505 Lieutenant Colonel Tomas Hamilton, SX10761 Major Alan Frank Hobbs, Ted Fisher, TX2150 Major John Sneddon Chalmers, SX13978 Major Sydney Krantz, WX3464 Claude Leonard Anderson, probably NX455 Major Arthur Alexander Moon, NX350 Major Ewen Lawrie Corlette, Don Cumming, NX76180 Captain Thomas Le Gay Brereton, John Higgin, NX76302 Captain David Clive Critchley Hinder, NX35135 Captain Ian Lovell Duncan, Colonel VX259 Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, Lloyd Carl, John Taylor, NX70674 Major Ernest Ambrose Marsden, Kevin Fagin, Frank Murphy, Sid Brien, Tom Cooney, Arthur Baker, Teddy Harris, Pickles Brawn, Jim Rolston