Colonial War Memorial Hospital

From Ameliapedia
Revision as of 16:07, 27 January 2009 by Moleski (talk | contribs) (New page: * Associated with Fiji School of Medicine. * Waimanu Road, Suva. Telephone 331-3444 * Sealed tunnels lead into the hill under the Maternity Ward on Extension Street. * Hoodless House i...)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
  • Associated with Fiji School of Medicine.
  • Waimanu Road, Suva. Telephone 331-3444
  • Sealed tunnels lead into the hill under the Maternity Ward on Extension Street.
  • Hoodless House is on Brown Street, directly behind CWMH.
  • 21 August 1941 CWMH made plans to evacuate to the Methodist Mission Girls' School in Eden Street, Toorak. VWTMc feared loss of trained personnel if the hospital got bombed.
  • The tunnels under the hospital were air-raid shelters. CMS needed room for 400 people. VWTMc called the rock "soapstone."
  • 17 December 1941: VWTMc asked that a hole be bored for the safe storage of radium.
  • No mention (so far) of any storage of hospital records or relocation of hospital administration itself.
  • 3 July 1942: The air-raid shelter needs an entrance closer to the hospital, sanitary accomodation, a kitchenette, and water.
  • Monthly informal staff meetings for the doctors.
  • 27 Oct 1942: VWTMc asks permission to put Red Cross on hospital roof. Imagines it would be a natural target for bombing otherwise.
  • An opinion derived from reading VWTMcG's outgoing correspondence, 1940-1946: the Brits saw the war coming and got ready for it; they then saw the end of the war coming and got ready for that, too.
  • Here's an example of how the bureaucrats were looking ahead to the end of the war. Someone named Lloyd is writing to Sir Harry from the Colonial Office, 31 Dec 1940:
  • "After the war, I hope that it may be found possible to create the post of Surgical Specialist at the Hospital whose appointment would help to relieve medical officers of a number of the responsibilities to which you refer." This is the post that Gilchrist obtained, I believe.

Duncan "Jock" Macpherson

  • Assistant Director of Medical Services at CWMH circa 1940-41. Born circa 1901.
  • VWTMcG 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."

Victor William Tighe McGusty (VWTMc)

  • Director of CWMH circa 1940-41.
  • VWTMGc was celebrated in Time Magazine for having "complete charge of the school" since 1939. There wasn't a syllable about Hoodless in the piece!
  • McGusty was a great man" (Susan Parkinson).

Dr. T. A. U. Clunie

  • born 1895.
  • a colonial services officer who was acting principal when Hoodless was away from FSM.