British Military Hospital, Singapore
Encyclopedia
The British Military Hospital, Singapore was established in 1938 as the primary military hospital
four miles west of Singapore
at 378 Alexandra Road, and was also known as the Alexandra hospital for the area of Alexandra Park where it was built.
The Alexandra military hospital served as the principal hospital for the British Far East Command
and was known as the British Military Hospital.
At the height of its existence, the hospital was an institution that adopted cutting-edge
medical technology
and was the first hospital in South East Asia to successfully perform limb
re-attachment to a patient
. The hospital was planned for years and on building included some of the best medical facilities in Asia, including the then new x-ray equipment.
On February 14, 1942, Japanese Imperial Forces
advanced through Kent Ridge down Pasir Panjang Road to the Alexandra Road Military Hospital. The British 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade retreated west through the Hospital. They set up machine guns on the first and second floors to cover their retreat. A lieutenant
carried a Red Cross brassard
and a white flag
to meet the Japanese troops, and announce surrender of non-combatants in the hospital, but was killed immediately.
Among the patients in the Hospital were crew members who were survivors of Force Z
, comprising the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
(nicknamed the Plymouth Argylls) which were sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers off the coast of Kuantan
, Pahang
, on 10 December 1941.
Japanese troops of the 18th Division
rushed into the wards and operating theatre
s and bayoneted a total of 250 patients and staff
members. Before they could repeat their brutalities in other wards, an officer
ordered them to assemble in the Hospital grounds. The troops, however, removed about 400 patients and staff and locked them up in a small fetid room nearby, reminiscent of the Black Hole of Calcutta
. Many died from suffocation. The next afternoon a cell door burst open under mortar fire and some men staggered out but many were mown down by Japanese machine-gun fire. Other survivors were taken out in small groups and shot
. The bodies were buried in a mass grave
. The Japanese claimed that some Indian troops had fired on them from the Hospital grounds. The area was a major Japanese objective because it also contained the British army's biggest ammunition dump and Alexandra Barracks.
Walter Salmon of the Royal Signals, wounded
by a mortar
bomb, was hospitalized on the top floor and had come to the canteen
. He sat there a stunned witness of the abominable spectacle. Several men, including George Britton of the East Surrey Regiment
, had been moved from the upstairs ward to the dining room and were in makeshift beds under the dining table. Corporal Britton, in a private testimony, described how the Japanese rushed in, taking all the bread piled on the table. But although the orderly was marched out and bayoneted, those on the floor were ignored. They were left for 3 days with no food or water before being moved to Changi
POW camp, on wheelbarrows, carts or anything that had wheels, no motorised vehicles being available.
In 2008 a four-page account of the massacre, written by Private Haines of the Wiltshire Regiment, was sold by private auction. This closely agrees with the testimony of George Britton.
Other surviving staff and patients of the hospital were eventually transferred to the Roberts Barracks where their command was taken over by Colonel Glyn White of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
.
After World War II
up to the 1970’s, the Alexandra remained as one of the most modern hospitals in Singapore
right to the 1970s, and is now a part of the National University of Singapore Medical School.
Catherine Gordon
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
four miles west of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
at 378 Alexandra Road, and was also known as the Alexandra hospital for the area of Alexandra Park where it was built.
The Alexandra military hospital served as the principal hospital for the British Far East Command
British Far East Command
The Far East Command was a British military command which had 2 distinct periods. These were firstly, 18 November 1940 – 7 January 1942 succeeded by the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command , and secondly, 1963 – 1971 succeeded by Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom Force...
and was known as the British Military Hospital.
At the height of its existence, the hospital was an institution that adopted cutting-edge
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
medical technology
Medical technology
Medical Technology encompasses a wide range of healthcare products and is used to diagnose, monitor or treat diseases or medical conditions affecting humans. Such technologies are intended to improve the quality of healthcare delivered through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and...
and was the first hospital in South East Asia to successfully perform limb
Limb (anatomy)
A limb is a jointed, or prehensile , appendage of the human or other animal body....
re-attachment to a patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
. The hospital was planned for years and on building included some of the best medical facilities in Asia, including the then new x-ray equipment.
Second World War
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
advanced through Kent Ridge down Pasir Panjang Road to the Alexandra Road Military Hospital. The British 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade retreated west through the Hospital. They set up machine guns on the first and second floors to cover their retreat. A lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
carried a Red Cross brassard
Brassard
A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing...
and a white flag
White flag
White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.-Flag of temporary truce in order to parley :...
to meet the Japanese troops, and announce surrender of non-combatants in the hospital, but was killed immediately.
Among the patients in the Hospital were crew members who were survivors of Force Z
Force Z
Force Z was an Allied naval detachment consisting of the battleship , the battlecruiser , and four destroyers, , , , and . Initially an aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable was included, but she ran aground in the Caribbean, and was not replaced by HMS Hermes which was regarded as too slow.A renamed...
, comprising the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
HMS Repulse (1916)
HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
(nicknamed the Plymouth Argylls) which were sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers off the coast of Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
, Pahang
Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
, on 10 December 1941.
Japanese troops of the 18th Division
18th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 18th Division was formed in Kurume, Kyūshū on 13 November 1907, together with the 17th Division, as part of the post Russo-Japanese War expansion of the standing Japanese military...
rushed into the wards and operating theatre
Operating theatre
An operating theater was a non-sterile, tiered theater or amphitheater in which students and other spectators could watch surgeons perform surgery...
s and bayoneted a total of 250 patients and staff
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
members. Before they could repeat their brutalities in other wards, an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
ordered them to assemble in the Hospital grounds. The troops, however, removed about 400 patients and staff and locked them up in a small fetid room nearby, reminiscent of the Black Hole of Calcutta
Black Hole of Calcutta
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William, at Calcutta, India, where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the Fort on June 19, 1756....
. Many died from suffocation. The next afternoon a cell door burst open under mortar fire and some men staggered out but many were mown down by Japanese machine-gun fire. Other survivors were taken out in small groups and shot
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
. The bodies were buried in a mass grave
Mass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
. The Japanese claimed that some Indian troops had fired on them from the Hospital grounds. The area was a major Japanese objective because it also contained the British army's biggest ammunition dump and Alexandra Barracks.
Walter Salmon of the Royal Signals, wounded
Wounded
Wounded may refer to:* The Wounded, a Dutch wave-rock band* "The Wounded" , a fourth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation* "Wounded ", a song by the American rock band Third Eye Blind...
by a mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
bomb, was hospitalized on the top floor and had come to the canteen
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
. He sat there a stunned witness of the abominable spectacle. Several men, including George Britton of the East Surrey Regiment
East Surrey Regiment
The East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the 70th Regiment of Foot...
, had been moved from the upstairs ward to the dining room and were in makeshift beds under the dining table. Corporal Britton, in a private testimony, described how the Japanese rushed in, taking all the bread piled on the table. But although the orderly was marched out and bayoneted, those on the floor were ignored. They were left for 3 days with no food or water before being moved to Changi
Changi
Changi is an area at the eastern end of Singapore. It is now the site of Singapore Changi Airport/Changi Air Base, Changi Naval Base and is also home to Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II which held Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia...
POW camp, on wheelbarrows, carts or anything that had wheels, no motorised vehicles being available.
In 2008 a four-page account of the massacre, written by Private Haines of the Wiltshire Regiment, was sold by private auction. This closely agrees with the testimony of George Britton.
Other surviving staff and patients of the hospital were eventually transferred to the Roberts Barracks where their command was taken over by Colonel Glyn White of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 and has participated in every Australian Army operation...
.
Post-war period
After the Japanese Surrender in 1945, a book was kept in the Hospital. It contained the names of the victims who were massacred by the Japanese. The present location of the book is not known.After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
up to the 1970’s, the Alexandra remained as one of the most modern hospitals in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
right to the 1970s, and is now a part of the National University of Singapore Medical School.
Notable staff
The Alexandra Hospital was also renowned for some of the well-known medical experts including:- Sir Roy Calne, an international renowned transplantOrgan transplantOrgan transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
surgeonSurgeonIn medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage... - Major A.P.Dignan, a world famous transplant surgeon and professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of SurgerySurgerySurgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
in the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, ClinicClinicA clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
al School - Sir David Weatherall, RegiusRegiusRegius may refer to:* Regius Professor, "Royal" Professorships at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin* Raphael Regius , Venetian humanist...
professor of medicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and Honorary Director of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineAn Institute of Molecular Medicine, or IMM for short, may refer to a scientific research institution in molecular medicine:Norway*Department of Cancer research and Molecular Medicine at the The Norwegian University of Science and Technology....
at Oxford University
Catherine Gordon
Sources
- Partridge, Jeff, Alexandra Hospital: From British Military to Civilian Institution, 1938-1998, Alexandra Hospital and Singapore Polytechnic, 1998 ISBN 9810404301
- Lim, Patricia Pui Huen, Wong, Diana, War and Memory in Malaysia and Singapore, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2000
- Faucher, Carole, As the wind blows and dew comes down: Ghost stories and collective memory in Singapore, in Beyond Description: Singapore Space Historicity, Ryan Bishop, John Phillips, Wei-Wei Yeo, Routledge, Singapore, 2004
- Sagar Coulter, Jack Leonard, The Royal Naval Medical Service, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1954
- Khoo, Fun Yong, X-rays in Singapore, 1896-1975, National University of Singapore Press, 1981
- Harrison, Mark, Medicine and Victory: British Military Medicine in the Second World War, Oxford University Press, 2004
- Owen, Frank, The Fall of Singapore, M. Joseph Publisher, 1960
- Middlebrook, Martin , Mahoney, Patrick , Battleship: The Loss of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse, Allen Lane, 1977
- Thompson, Chuck, The 25 Best World War II Sites: Pacific Theater, AS Davis Media Group, 2002
- Fernandez, George J., Successful Singapore: A Tiny Nation's Saga from Founder to Accomplisher, SSMB Pub. Division, 1992
- Barber, Noel, Sinister Twilight: The Fall and Rise Again of Singapore, Collins, 1968
Recommended reading
- Donald C Bowie, Captive Surgeon in Hong Kong: The Story of the British Military Hospital, In: Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 15, 1975: 150-290.