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Papers of Desmond William G. Faris

 Collection

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Papers relating to Changi and Sime Road internment camps, Malaya, [1942-1945], including personal papers, statistics, plans, and material on various diseases, medical facilities, sanitation, etc.; , [1946-1956].

Dates

  • Creation: [1942-1956]

Extent

3 boxes

Language of Materials

  • English

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MSS. Ind. Ocn. s. 307].

Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. Ind. Ocn. s. 307

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 1789

Biographical / Historical

Desmond William George Faris (1901-1957), colonial medical officer, was Clinical Assistant to Outpatients at the London Hospital from 1924, before taking a post as a Medical Officer in Malaya, 1926. By 1935 he was Acting Senior Health Officer in Penang and moved to a similar position in Singapore in 1937, where he was engaged in anti-malarial work. When Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942 he became Chief Medical and Health Officer for the civilian internment camps, shortly afterwards taking specific responsibility for Public Health. Some time after the end of the Second World War he became Director of Medical Services for the Malayan Union and by 1956 he was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malaya.

Other Finding Aids

Listed as no. 680 in Manuscript Collections in Rhodes House Library Oxford, Accessions 1978-1994 (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1996). A handlist is also available in the library reading room.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were donated to the library in 1987.

Related Materials

File of medical papers, 1931-1946, including Selangor Coast district annual report, 1931, accrued while Health Officer; reports on the working of the Government Health Department, Singapore, 1941-1945; reports on the hospital and nutrition at civilian internment camp, [1942-1945] (ref. MSS. Ind. Ocn. s. 135).

Title
Papers of Desmond William G. Faris, [1942-1956]
Status
Published
Author
Paul Davidson
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom