Extract taken from the book, 'The Story of Dr Wassell' by James Hilton

On February 4, 1942, the United States cruisers Houston and Marblehead were in action off the coast of Java. Badly battered by a heavy Japanese force, they limped into port.

"Dr. Wassell," said the president in a broadcast speech to the nation on the 28th April, 1942, "was assigned to duty in Java, caring for wounded officers and men of the cruisers Houston and Marblehead which had been in heavy action in the Java seas. When the Japanese advanced across the island it was decided to evacuate as many as possible of the wounded to Australia. But about twelve of the men were so badly wounded that they could not be moved. Dr Wassell remained with these men, knowing that he would by captured by the enemy. But he decided to make a desperate attempt to get the twelve men to the seacoast... The men were suffering severely but Dr. Wassell kept them alive by his skill and inspired them by his own courage. As the official report said, Dr. Wassell was 'almost like a Christ-like shepherd devoted to his flock'."

Taken from the 'The Story of Dr Wassell' by James Hilton
Published by Macmillan & Co. Ltd of London 1944
Printed in Great Britain by
R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.

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