Nursing Service/Prisoners WWII

[trish1]

I have a relative, Nola Chandler, born in Australia 1895 died in Sidney, British Columbia Canada in <the 1980s>
In between she traveled to a number of places.
1904 family returned to England from Australia
1911 in service in Oxfordshire, England
1923-24 on the London electoral register - at St Batholomew's hospital
1926 heading to Malaysia as a trained nurse
1939 Nurse - traveling from Hong Kong to Victoria, British Columbia

1939 nurse from Montreal to Liverpool - last residence Hong Kong, next residence other parts of the British Empire
1945 nurse from Far East to Liverpool (arrived oct 27) nursing sister from hong kong intending to stay in England.

After all that - my query - I'm wondering if she was in the forces in WWII - or a prisoner of war. Am looking for ideas to follow up on her whereabouts and activities 1939-1945

thanks
Trish

[LesleyB]

Hi Trish

There are some prisoner of war lists on FindMyPast
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/mili ... rs-of-war/
but as far as I am aware they cover those who were held as German prisoners only. I know I have one man in my family who was held by the Japanese and he is not listed there.

WW2 records are not available to search or view - you need to send away for them and you need to be the next of kin to do this.
See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/reco ... er1913.htm
and
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_rec ... cords.html

If you knew what regiment she served in, I expect it may be possible to find out where that regiment was stationed at different times, but I don't know enough about military matters or nurses in that context. Maybe this might be useful:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/reco ... ynurse.htm

Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps service records (1939-1945)Visit the Veterans UK website for information about how to request a summary of a service recorda document recording the career of an individual in the armed forces from the Ministry of Defence. These are not available to members of the general public, though next of kin may request access to them.

Voluntary Aid Detachment records (1914-1920, 1939-1945)Contact the British Red Cross museum and archives for the service record of a person who served in a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) during the First or Second World War.

Best wishes
Lesley

[garibaldired]

Although this site concentrates mainly on WW1 there is some information about WW2 and tips for researching nurses:

http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/index.html

Best wishes,
Meg

[Currie]

Hello Trish,

The Japanese Government surrendered on 15 August, 1945. The first arrival of British forces into the Colony of Hong Kong appears to have been a British Cruiser on 30 August. The formal Japanese surrender there was on 16 September. Nola Chandler arrives back in the UK from Hong Kong on 27 October.

It certainly sounds as if she was a prisoner there, or maybe she was sent there as a nurse to help with treatment and repatriation of former POWs. There would have been a number who needed medical treatment and perhaps were accompanied by nurses back to the UK.

The Scotsman reported on 25 September that the HK camps had been evacuated and POWs were being sent home via Manila. Over 120 Far East POWs had already arrived in the UK and the first arrivals by sea were expected by mid October. A party of The Royal Scots, POWs in HK, arrived in the UK 18 October.

The Hong Kong War Diary site seems? to have things sorted as far as POWs there are concerned, and a Google site search there only brings up a few men with that surname and nothing for a Nora. http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/

Where did the information come from about the return on 27 October, was a ships name mentioned?

All the best,
Alan

[trish1]

Hi everyone

Thank you for the replies - Meg and Lesley - the links are interesting - and I've searched what I can without success - I may have found an even more distant relative who nursed in WWI - but not Nola in WWII. From her history, it seems she was nursing in Asia from c. 1926, so I am thinking she was perhaps caught there during WWII and imprisoned by the Japanese - as much as she perhaps went there with the services. I haven't, however found her traveling back to Hong Kong in 1939.

The trip to Victoria, BC, Canada would have been to visit family - as would then be the trip to England. The next trip I find is the trip FROM the east in 1945 and Alan's discussion mirrors my thoughts - the timing is right for her to have been a prisoner, or in the forces, or helping the wounded back to England. She did have family in Australia & I know of other people who fled Singapore/Hong Kong to Australia in the early 1940s & that would be another possibility - I don't have any records of her traveling in/out of Australia at that time.

The details of the trip to UK in 1945 is from ancestry viz

SS Empress of Australia - Canadian Pacific Line (and I have previously omitted where she boarded - the voyage was From Far East to United Kingdom, People boarded Colombo, Hong Kong, Manila)
I'll check the Manila boardings to see if there are services people.

boarded Colombo
landed Liverpool
Name Nola Chandler, 1st class (not sure the class is relevant - all the British on board are listed as 1st class - c. 400 people - except a "distressed British sailor" & 2 stowaways)
age 50
Address in UK Kings Lynn Norfolk (sister Mrs S G Woodeson)
occupation nursing sister
Country of last permanent residence Hong Kong
Country of next residence England

thank you for all the suggestions

Trish

[trish1]

Looking at the shipping list Alan, a large number of the passengers who boarded at Colombo were nursing sisters. There were a few missionaries and preachers as well - all said their previous permanent location was Hong Kong.

Trish

[Currie]

Back again Trish,

The Scotsman, 10 September, 1945.
“One hospital ship has sailed for Australia from Hong Kong, and 1500 more liberated prisoners are being taken by the Empress of Australia”

But here’s the clincher.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q8 ... dler&hl=en

Owzat,
Alan

[LesleyB]

WOW - well done Alan!

[trish1]

Dear Alan

Do take 73 and one half curtain calls - you are surely the researcher to end all researchers - bless you - and thank you - if it looks like a war story, reads like a war story & sails like a war story - then Alan will find the war story. I had found them all in Canada - and now you have even proven wrong my assumption that they probably went by train from Montreal to the west coast. Sigh.

Trish

Edit: zat is perfect - and also I have the 1947 shipping for the Woodesons - but I hadn't found Nola on board the same ship - back to double checking my information.

[garibaldired]

I just had to chip in here.
I am staggered at what you manage to discover, Alan.
You really are amazing! =D> =D>

Best wishes,
Meg