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Dentistry on the Burma Railway - the story of Captain David Arkush

British Dental Journal volume 230, pages 456–460 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

This article tells the story of Captain David Arkush who was a dental officer in the Army Dental Corps during World War II. He was posted to Singapore in 1941 and was present at the fall of Singapore when he was subsequently captured by the Japanese and became a prisoner of war on the Burmese Railway. Living conditions were horrific but he was able to provide basic dentistry during this difficult time. The following is a first-hand account of Arkush's story, as told in his own words. The material came from recordings of an interview with Arkush in 2011 when he was 96 years old. Some of the dates have been altered to allow for historical accuracy, but all other details have been reported as told.

Key points

  • Provides a history of military dentistry during World War II (WWII).

  • Provides insight into what life was like for those captured at the fall of Singapore and their subsequent time as prisoners of war on the Burma Railway.

  • Celebrates the life and achievements of a former Army Dental Corps officer during and after his military service during WWII.

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References

  1. The London Gazette Official Public Record. 1941. Available at https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34804/supplement/1311 (accessed July 2020).

  2. DVD of interview with David Arkush. The RADC Association archives. 2011.

  3. Singapore Infopaedia. Alexandra Hospital Massacre. 3 April 2014. Available online at https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopaedia/articles/SIP_2014-04-07_090735.html (accessed July 2020).

  4. BBC. VJ Day: Surviving the horrors of Japan's WW2 camps. 2015. Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33931660 (accessed July 2020).

  5. Personal Correspondence. Account and words by Jonathan Arkush. August 2020.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the RADC Association archives for access to the voice and video recordings of their interviews with David Arkush, as well as Jonathan Arkush for the use of his family's photographs and for the summary of his father's life after he returned from WW2.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Major Royal Army Dental Corps, Senior Dental Officer, Dental Centre MOD Lyneham, Wiltshire, UK

    Carla Hunter

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  1. Carla Hunter
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Correspondence to Carla Hunter.

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Cite this article

Hunter, C. Dentistry on the Burma Railway - the story of Captain David Arkush. Br Dent J 230, 456–460 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-2739-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-2739-z

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