ABSTRACT
When attached to the 2/10th Field Ambulance, Mills was instantly impressed by the attitude and experience of Colonel Alfred Derham and his deputy, Lieutenant Colonel John ‘Glyn’ White, both of whom had served in World War I and would prove to be key mentors to young doctors in captivity. Dr Leslie Poidevin recalled: ‘we did tropical medicine in Sydney University in our course, and we learnt the rudiments of malaria’. Some did short courses in the army before embarkation, other did not—an omission that would later cause problems in captivity. In short, the doctors of that era were revered and in many ways considered infallible. As their experiences in captivity would show, this esteem would be both a blessing and a burden. During the Malaya campaign, the doctors demonstrated characteristics that would be strengthened in captivity: selflessness when it came to patient care, resourcefulness and an implacable belief in the importance of their work.
