The Australian Nurse Who Survived The Bangka Island Massacre In 1942

The Australian Nurse Who Survived The Bangka Island Massacre In 1942

I want to tell you about a remarkable individual, Vivian Bullwinkel, an Australian nurse who served in World War Two.

She was born on the 18th of December 1915 in Kapunda, in Southern Australia, just north of Adelaide. She trained as both a nurse and a midwife. Those who knew her described her as both determined and compassionate. Before the war broke out, she worked in hospitals in Victoria and Melbourne.

When the Second World War began to spread across the world, Vivian wanted to serve her country. At first she tried to join the Royal Australian Air Force, but was rejected because she had flat feet. Many people may well have given up at that point, but she was determined and refused to give up. Instead, she joined the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps in 1941. She was sent to Singapore just as the Japanese forces were advancing through Malaya during the Pacific War.

By early 1942, the situation had become desperate. Singapore was collapsing and they began to evacuate . Vivian and dozens of other nurses boarded the SS Vyner Brooke in the hopes of escaping. But on the 14th of February 1942, the ship was attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft. The survivors managed to reach Bangka Island.

What happened next became one of the darkest moments involving Australian nurses during the war. On the 16th of February 1942, Japanese soldiers arrived at Radji Beach on Bangka Island. The men were separated and killed. Vivian and 21 fellow nurses were then ordered into the sea before being gunned down from behind in what became known as the Bangka Island Massacre. Vivian was hit, but the bullet missed her vital organs. She pretended to be dead and remained still until the soldiers left. You can only imagine the terror and heartbreak she must have felt lying there among her friends.

For days afterwards, she hid with a wounded British soldier named Cecil Kingsley. She  nursed him while she was also suffering from her own injuries. Eventually they were captured, and Vivian spent more than three years as a prisoner of war. Conditions in the prison camps were harsh. Despite this, she continued to take care of others whenever she could.

After the war ended, Vivian returned to Australia and gave evidence at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. She later became Director of Nursing at Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital and she devoted a lot of her life to honouring the nurses who had died. She also supported nursing organisations and memorial projects for veterans.

Over her lifetime she received many honours, including the Member of the Order of the British Empire, the Officer of the Order of Australia, the Associate Royal Red Cross, the Florence Nightingale Medal, and the Efficiency Decoration. She also received campaign medals for her wartime service, including the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, and the Australia Service Medal 1939-45.

Vivian died in Perth on the 3rd of July 2000 at the age of 84, but her story continues to be remembered across Australia. In 2022, she became the first woman honoured with a statue at the Australian War Memorial.