Philps, (Frank) Richard

'Prisoner Doctor', an account of his experiences as an RAF Medical Officer during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, 1942-1945.

Chapter 1 Into the Bag Page 1

Chapter 2 Hippocrates Go Hang Page 17

Chapter 3 Haruku I Epidemic Page 33

Chapter 4 Haruku II Yeast Page 58

Chapter 5 Haruku III Coral Page 86

Chapter 6 Ambon Page 92

Chapter 7 Return to Java Page 96

Chapter 8 Return to Singapore Page 105

Chapter 9 Changi Gaol Page 115

Chapter 10 Return to Life Page 125

1942-1945

1 box The typescript is in photocopied form and bound with some colour photographic prints.

Dr Philps presented his unpublished typescript 'Prisoner Doctor' to the Wellcome Institute in Oct 1983. Another copy has been placed in the Department of Documents at the Imperial War Museum.

Philps volunteered for the Royal Air Force Medical Service after qualifying as a doctor in 1940. He wrote this personal account of his experience (as a doctor) of life in several working POW camps in Indonesia during the Second World War. It is based on notes he made as soon as possible afterwards and written sometime later when he had 'settled sufficiently to be reasonably dispassionate and could be level-headed about it'. He also states that he was careful to avoid hearsay, trusting only his observations and those of fellow prisoner Leslie J Audus, then a RAF 'Radiolocation' or Radar Officer, later Professor Emeritus of Botany, London University, whose help is acknowledged.

Copyright remained with Dr Philps