Margaret Dryburgh facts for kids

Margaret Dryburgh (born February 24, 1890 – died April 21, 1945) was an English teacher and missionary. She was born in Sunderland, England. Later, she became a missionary in Singapore. During World War II, she was captured and held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

Margaret Dryburgh and other prisoners, like Betty Jeffrey, faced many challenges in the camp. Their experiences inspired the 1996 film Paradise Road. While she was imprisoned, Margaret Dryburgh wrote a special song called The Captives' Hymn.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Dryburgh was born in Sunderland, UK, in 1890. She was the oldest child of Reverend William Dryburgh and Elizabeth Webster. Her father was a minister at a church. The family moved to Swalwell, near Gateshead, when Margaret was a baby.

After finishing school, Margaret trained to be a teacher at King's College in Newcastle upon Tyne. She later earned a degree from Durham University. She was very good at Latin and Education. In 1911, she started teaching history, French, and Latin at Ryhope Grammar School. She taught there for six years.

In 1917, Margaret decided to become a Presbyterian missionary. To help her work, she also trained to be a nurse. Her mother was very involved in the Women's Missionary Association. This likely encouraged Margaret to volunteer for this important role.

Missionary Work in Asia

Margaret Dryburgh's first missionary job was in 1919. She was sent to Shantou in China. Her family's church, St George's, supported this mission. They even "adopted" her as "our missionary." This meant the church community felt a special connection to her work.

It was a challenging time in China. Many people felt against foreigners. But Margaret learned the local Shantou language in just two years. Then, she began teaching at the Sok Tek Girls' School.

Years later, Margaret moved to Singapore. In 1934, she became the principal of the Choon Goan School. She was very dedicated to her job. She worked hard to improve the school's standards. Soon, it was officially recognized as a secondary school. It also started getting help from the government.

Margaret spent her time outside the classroom helping the local community. She was a talented musician. She organized choirs and was a strong supporter of the Women's Fellowship. She also arranged concerts and charity events to raise money for the school. She even planned picnics for local children. Former students remembered how she often paid for milk for students who didn't have enough to eat. She also encouraged many girls to become teachers themselves.

Life During World War II

The start of the Second World War stopped Margaret's missionary work. In 1942, Singapore was taken over by Japanese forces. Margaret tried to escape by ship, but she was captured with other missionaries. The women were taken to a Japanese internment camp in Sumatra. In these camps, many people died from illness and not enough food.

Even in these terrible conditions, Margaret kept her strong spirit and her Christian faith. Soon after arriving at the camp, she began organizing church services for the other prisoners. She also started a Glee Club, hymn singing, writing classes, and poetry sessions. She ran a short story club too. She even produced a monthly camp magazine. It included articles on cooking, a children's section, and a crossword puzzle.

Her main passion was music. She teamed up with Norah Chambers, another musician. Norah had studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Together, they formed a camp choir. Margaret remembered many pages of music by heart. She wrote down pieces from different time periods for the Vocal Orchestra to perform. She also wrote her own light classical songs.

The music was arranged for four parts. The women hummed these parts to sound like an orchestra. They performed pieces by famous composers like Handel, Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven. Even the Japanese soldiers were amazed by their music. They sometimes came to listen to the concerts. The Captives' Hymn, written by Margaret, was sung every Sunday during church services.

The concerts continued through 1944 and into 1945. Sadly, the choir stopped when more than half of its members had died. Constant hunger and illness eventually affected Margaret too. She died on April 21, 1945. This was a few days after the women were moved to a camp at Loebok Linggau. She became sick during the three-day journey from Bangka Island camp. She eventually died from dysentery. The remaining prisoners buried Margaret among some rubber trees at Belau camp in Sumatra. Later, in 1951, she was reburied in the Dutch War Grave Cemetery in Java.

Lasting Impact

The Captives' Hymn and Margaret's other songs are still performed by women's choirs today. A documentary about life in the camp, called Song of Survival, was shown on Channel 4.

The film Paradise Road, made in 1996, told the story of life in the camp. The actress Pauline Collins played Margaret Dryburgh in the movie. In the film, Margaret's name was changed to Margaret Drummond. The Captives' Hymn was used in the film during a burial scene.