Educational Media Reviews Online

Joan Bamford Fletcher, a Canadian and a member of the British organization First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) during World War II, was sent on a rescue mission to Sumatra in 1945 to evacuate 2,000 Dutch civilians who had spent the previous three years in the Japanese military internment camps. The video uses the model of TV documentaries with contemporary interviews with Canadian and Dutch historians, family members, and a survivor among others interspersed with reenactments and archival footage. This inspirational story addresses the issues of gender and cross-cultural aspects in the military during the World War II through the accomplishments of this remarkable woman who was awarded The Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in 1946 for her notable rescue work.

At the end of the World War II, Sumatra was a vulnerable and hostile place. The war had officially ended, but defeated Japanese troops were stranded on the island while the Indonesian nationalists harbored independence sentiments from the Netherlands and were actively engaged in hostile campaigns. In this chaotic scenario, Joan Fletcher’s mission was to organize a convoy to transport 2,000 Dutch nationals, from Bankinang in the central part of the island to Padang on the western coast, through 500 miles of rugged and precarious mountain road meandering dense tropical forest filled with Indonesian insurgents. Joan executed this mission with seventy Japanese soldiers under her command and making twenty journeys. The strength of this unusual partnership was evident as all the Dutch were evacuated to safety despite frightening and challenging moments as expressed by the survivor and others interviewed. The video highlights the notion of human trust and this unusual relationship. Joan’s courage and commitment, as well as devotion to duty gained admiration by the Japanese soldiers, as illustrated by the gesture of the Japanese officer presenting her with his own sword as a token of respect and esteem. Joan Fletcher and these Japanese soldiers cultivated a life long bond throughout the post war years.

This documentary also recognizes the role of FANY members’ contributions to the war effort. Women who joined FANY would not only be first aid specialists, but would have skills that would allow them to get to the battlefields, as expressed in several FANY members interviewed. The archival film footage of the Dutch in captivity provide the audience powerful images of this obscure World War II history and contrasts with the reenactments that are poorly executed and artificial. The segment of Joan Fletcher’s activities after the World War in Poland is vague as well as distractive and could be eliminated entirely.

The video is recommended as a valuable addition to resources on World War II, women in the military, women’s leadership and gender roles in times of conflict. Rescue from Sumatra is one of the five titles of Women of Courage: Untold Stories of World War II documentary series on women that made significant contributions to the allied war effort.