Colonial War Memorial Hospital
- 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.
- 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."
- 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
- Victor William Tighe McGusty (VWTMc)was the 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).
- VWTMGc was celebrated in
Time Magazine for having "complete charge of the
school" since 1939. There wasn't a syllable about
- Dr. T. A. U. Clunie (born 1895) was a colonial services officer who was acting principal when Hoodless was away from FSM.
- 1 August 1941, eleven years before I was born, 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.
- 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: