The Soldier's Details

Jim was with ‘Blackforce’, for further information

Jim Allpike was originally a member of the 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion and later with 2/3 Machine Gun Battalion. Whilst a POW Jim was with Weary Dunlop at Hintock Mountain Camp. Due to the initiative of a Major Clarke (a Dentist) and others they established a still at the camp to produce distilled water. The still was operated up to 24 hours a day, staffed by the officers, and could produce 120 pints of saline. The distilled water could have salt added later to produce saline fluid. Amongst other things, this could be infused to improve fluid levels of dysentery and cholera patients. Jim used to carry four 1 gallon demi-johns of distilled water from Hintock Mountain Camp to Hintock River Camp, a return journey of over 8km, several times a day. Jim had no boots and walked/ran the path in all weathers by day or night. It is reported that Jim was seen doing a delivery at 2 AM on one occasion. One would need to see the terrain to appreciate the difficulty. If you have a copy of Ghosts in Khaki (author Les Cody deceased February 2002) there are pictures of young Jim Allpike on pages 31 and 253.

Article prepared by Lt. Col. Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (Retired) JP 2003 E-mail peterwinstanley@bigpond.com

In the interview with Winstanley, Jim was diagnosed in the Wampo area with Black Water Fever by Dr. Pavillard who was born Canary Islands, studied medicine at Madrid and Edinburgh Universities.  Pavillard was working in Malaya when the Japanese invaded, enlisting as a Medical Officer with  Straits Settlement Volunteer Forces as a Lieutenant and taken POW at Singapore.

Dedicated Pavillard was sent as far as Kinsayok.  With his acquired knowledge in tropical illnesses and he stood out as a talented doctor and was respected by both POWs and other doctors.