| Accession Number | PR02072 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 2 wallets: 4 cm |
| Object type | Diary, Papers |
| Maker |
Harvey, William Cotter Burnell |
| Date made | 1942-1945; c 1955 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| 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. |
Harvey, Dr William Cotter Burnell MID OBE (Lieutenant Colonel, b.1898 - d.1981)
Description
Photocopy of a diary written by Lieutenant Colonel William Cotter Burnell Harvey, Senior Physician to the 10th Australian General Hospital while serving in Malaya during the Second World War and during captivity in Changi Gaol as a prisoner of the Japanese. Entries, covering the period 1 January 1942 to 3 October 1945, provide valuable insights into conditions in Singapore immediately prior to its occupation by the Japanese and subsequently the many problems associated with the maintenance of medical services in POW camp conditions. Includes details of daily life, hospital records, accounts of entertainments and lists of books read (with critical comments). Collection also includes a typed transcript of the original handwritten diary (with annotations by the writer) and a copy of some further explanatory notes (titled '1942-1945 War Diary Preamble') written by Dr Cotter Harvey in the 1950s.