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Re: WW II Fliers Ring Returned After 60 Years

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: July 12, 2003

"Laurels sought for war-time hero
BRADLEY GREEN

CALLS have been made to honour a former south-west Catholic priest who helped saved the lives of thousands in a World War II Japanese prisoner of war camp.

Father Patrick Scanlan, a Trappist monk, was captured in secluded monastery and taken to a Japanese POW camp at Wei-Hsein, in north-east China.

Sydney woman Joyce Bradbury, who was locked in the camp with Father Scanlan between 1943 and 1945, has written a book about his heroic actions to smuggle food to under-nourished POWs under the constant fear of being caught and the death penalty that went with it.

Mrs Bradbury likened Father Scanlan's actions to war hero Sir Edward `Weary' Dunlop and calls to erect a permanent memorial in his honour have received support from Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and federal member for Wannon David Hawker.

Mrs Bradbury has paid tribute to Father Scanlan in her book Forgiven but not Forgotten.

``He became the camp's black marketeer and did a deal with the local Chinese to smuggle in fresh food for the prisoners because food was very scarce,'' Mrs Bradbury said. ``He risked his life numerous times.''

Father Scanlan was born at Jancourt, about 45km east of Warrnambool, in 1897 and educated at Jancourt, South Purrumbete, Cobden and Warrnambool before moving to Ballarat at age 18 to join the priesthood. He died at the age of 101 in San Diego, California, in October 1998.

Mrs Bradbury said the Federal Government should give Father Scanlan the same recognition as Sir Edward, who treated many Australian soldiers at POW camps in Java.

`Weary' Dunlop is honoured with a memorial in his home town of Benalla and a statue in Melbourne's botanical gardens. There is no memorial to Father Scanlan's wartime bravery other than the memories of the few living Australian-based survivors of that camp,'' Mrs Bradbury said.

Father Scanlan was one of 10 children. The last of the siblings, the youngest child, Dorry Mansbridge, passed away at Lyndoch last December.

Dorry's daughter Sister Marie Mansbridge said the family would be honoured to see him recognised. She said Father Scanlan was a modest man who never spoke about his experiences in the camp.

``It's remarkable in that anyone he met in the camp, he seemed to make the effort to visit them throughout his life,'' she said.

Mr Hawker backed the push for a monument recognising Father Scanlan's achievements and has already contacted the office of Veteran Affairs Minister Danna Vale.

``It's really important we do recognise these amazing contributions ... I'm confident we will get something,'' he said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Bracks said the State Government supported the push to have Father Scanlan recognised in some way.

© 2003 Warrnambool Standard"