What can we learn about what other doctors were working at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in April 1941?
What we need is access to a complete set of "Civil Lists." They are an amazingly comprehensive record of who did what when and where. I was not able to find all of them when I was in Fiji and Auckland. I was focusing on the whole period from the opening of the bones file until the office moved from Suva, Fiji, to Honiara in the Solomons (1940 to 1952), so some of the names below may not be relevant to your question.
I caught on to the value of the Civil Lists only late in the game. I don't know whether they were suspended from publication during the war years or whether the tradition came to an end. I wasn't able to track everybody that we were interested in during Bones II. A note to myself reads, "Check Civil List to see the appointments to CMS/FSM after Hoodless." But I know I couldn't get the relevant lists for the whole period that interested us.
I have a note that reads: "WPHC 15: Registers of Service 1910-1956." I don't remember looking at that file. It may have everything you want--if it exists. The first thing I did was to read through all of the finding aids. Not everything in the index is in the archive, if I remember correctly.
From the Fiji Archives, outgoing mail from CWMH:
Jock Macpherson: Acting Director of Medical
Services at CWMH circa 1940-41. Born circa
1901.
Dr. T. Clunie a colonial services officer.
Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) had control
of Nukulau. They were taking applications for the
post of caretaker in July of 1941. One folder
is labeled: "Use of Nukulau as a weekend resort."
Victor William Tighe McGusty was the director of CWMH circa
1940-41. He wrote Hoodless in 1941 asking about
Hoodless's retirement plans. The reply was "July,
1942."
Verrier.
There was a monthly informal staff meeting for
the doctors. I don't know whether Hoodless attended.
6 August 1942: Hoodless planning to retire May,
1943. Clunie covered as Principal for Hoodless when
he was on leave and is age 47. Verrier has
served since 1939.
25 Aug 1942: Verrier is Medical Officer in Rewa.
27 Oct 1942: Verrier objects to Dr. Steenson being
ousted from the lab by the appointment of Barnes.
But Verrier and Steenson are both "temporary
only."
Phone call with Fergus Clunie:
- KJ Gilchrist was "eccentric enough." He hoarded stuff.
He was different, but a very, very nice person.
- Frater died young. He had been in a prison camp during
the war. Just dropped dead. FC doesn't know whether he was Principal at the time.
McGusty wrote Dr. Duncan Macpherson's dad to say that
his son had cirrhosis of the liver. Three days later,
Jock died at age 42 on July 10, 1943. On 4 October
1943, a silver pocket watch, a silver wrist watch, and
a gold signet ring were sent to the Secretary of the
WPHC: "It was Dr. Macpherson's intent to take these
items to Mr. Gallagher's parents when he next went
to England on leave."
Dr. Jim Samisoni--successor to Gilchrist? One
of Gilchrist's boys.
Dr. Murphy
I don't think I was able to find the retirement date for Vaskess. He was 50 in 1941.
Died in 1969, age 78.
Dr. Harry Lander before Samisoni?
"A quick look at the Civil Lists for 1942 shows that Sir Harry,
McGusty, and Hoodless sat on the same Legislative committee. Lots
of opportunities for unrecorded conversations about the bones,
I imagine."
Tofiga: "Sir Harry's successor was a British General. 'I came out
here not to govern but to wage war.' That's all he did.
He didn't last long. They appointed another High Commissioner
when the war moved away from Fiji. The press accounts said that
Sir Harry was "stepping aside for a younger man who could better
handle the burdens of the office in war." But Sir Harry had the
same problem Solomon did."
I didn't ask Tofiga to explain the remark. 1 Kings 11:1-3 claims
that King Solomon had 700 hundred wives and 300 hundred concubines.
Was that a problem?
Tofiga: "Sir Harry kept the French colonies neutral. He deserved a medal.
He arranged for daily broadcasts in French over a private station
and gave a high-ranking French official a job in the British
bureaucracy. He didn't want the colonies to side with Petain.
Sir Harry also visited the various parts of the Western Pacific
more frequently than other High Commissioners did."
H.E. Maude: Administrative Officer GEIC 1935-1947
OBE, Resident
1947-1971
Civil Lists from Hanslope Park
"Selected Colonial Service Records"
Patrick Donald MacDonald
birth: 21 July 1909
13 July 1939
4 March 1939 President of Fanring Islands
Defense Force, Colonial
8 April 1940 Acting Assistant Secretary to the High Commissioner
25 May Relinquished duties as Assistant Secretary
December--back again