Boyce, Clive Rodney (Captain, b.1899 - d.1985)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of QX23518 Captain Clive Rodney Boyce, Second Australian Imperial Force, Malaya, Singapore and Japan, 1941-1945.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of two notebooks of Captain Clive Rodney Boyce, dated between 1941 and 1945. These notebooks were used by Captain Boyce to record details of medical cases and patients he treated during his time as a prisoner of war of the Japanese. The first notebook is titled 'Medical Notes'. This notebook contains information such as graphs of incidences of medical cases, a chronological list of patients from June 1943 to May 1945 (including names of patients, diagnoses, and treatments), and a list of 'J Force' patients who died (including names of patients and causes of death). This notebook also includes a record of news that Captain Boyce received from his family in Australia. The second notebook is titled 'Medical Notes (Psychiatry)'. In this notebook, Captain Boyce recorded information relating to his psychiatric patients, including names, symptoms, and diagnoses.

Captain Clive Rodney Boyce, a medical practitioner and psychiatrist, enlisted to the Second Australian Imperial Force on 29 August 1941. He embarked for service in Malaya in November 1941, and was subsequently posted to 2 Australian Convalescent Depot. Captain Boyce was captured as a prisoner of war of the Japanese in early 1942, and interned in Changi Prisoner of War Camp, Singapore. In May-June 1943, he was appointed as the medical officer of “J Force” and transferred to Kobe Camp in Japan. During his time as a prisoner, Captain Boyce continued his medical practice, diagnosing and treating his fellow prisoners. After the war, Captain Boyce returned to Australia, and was discharged on 11 December 1945.