Australian Nurses of the Vyner Brooke

Date: 12 Feb 1942 to 16 Feb 1942
Location: Netherlands East Indies
Surnames/tags: World_War_II nurses australia_project

this page expands on a section of the Australian Army page

Contents 1 Australian Nurses of the Vyner Brooke 1.1 The ship 1.2 The final voyage 1.3 The nurses 1.4 Aftermath 1.5 In the broader picture 1.6 Honours and awards 2 Sources 2.1 See also

Australian Nurses of the Vyner Brooke

Invading Malaya on 8th December 1941 (the same day as bombing Pearl Harbor, the US being a day behind Eastern Asia and the Western Pacific), the Imperial Japanese Army made swift advance south along the Malayan Peninsula and then across the narrow strait into the supposedly impregnable fortress of British Singapore. Although having a numerically smaller military (35,000 Japanese to 85,000 Allies), the invaders dominated air and sea, allowing them to advance at will. By the time the Allied commanders realised their impossible situation it was almost too late to evacuate non-combatants, let alone soldiers (Singapore fell on 15th February 1942). With news of Japanese inhumane and criminal treatment of women captives being heralded, General Bennett finally relented and ordered the 130 Australian nurses, all women under forty years of age, to be evacuated. The Wah Sui, a hospital ship, was to take six nurses during the night of 10th February to safety, the Empress Star a further 59 on the morning of the 12th and the Vyner Brooke the last 65 during the night of the 12th. The nurses themselves did not want to abandon their patients. The Wah Sui and Empress Star both made it through to Batavia (Jakarta), in the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia), and on to Australia. The Vyner Brooke, not so lucky ...

SS Vyner Brooke

The ship

The SS Vyner Brooke was a Scottish-built steamship that was both the royal yacht of Sarawak and a merchant ship frequently used between Singapore and Kuching. She was designed by naval architect, F G Ritchie OBE, of Ritchie & Bisset, Singapore. Ramage & Ferguson of Leith, Edinburgh's harbour area, built the ship, completing her in February 1928. She was 73.4m (240.7ft) long, with a beam of 12.6m (41.3ft) and draught of 4.95m (16ft 2 3⁄4in). The Vyner Brooke was named after the 3rd Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke. At the outbreak of war with Japan the ship was requisitioned by the Royal Navy, painted gray, and armed with a 25.4mm (four-inch) deck gun forward, two Lewis guns aft and depth charges. The ship was equipped with wireless and carried lifeboats, rafts and lifebelts for 650 people and could carry at least 200 deck passengers. ^[1]

The ship's Australian and British officers were mostly Malay Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and had been asked to remain aboard the now HMS Vyner Brooke. The ship's company, under the command of her peacetime captain, Richard E Borton, was augmented by reservists, some survivors of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse and European and Malay professional sailors. ^[1]

Sir Charles Vyner Brooke

The final voyage

Tasked with evacuating nurses, civilians, and wounded servicemen from Singapore, the Vyner Brooke steamed out of Singapore Harbour on 12th February 1942, just three days before the garrison surrendered. Exact numbers of passengers are not known as records were incomplete and no longer exist. It is known that the crew numbered 40, there were 65 Australian nurses, and approximately 145 others, including women and children. Anchoring during daylight in the lee of islands to Singapore's south to avoid discovery, she made slow progress. ^[2]

At 09:00 hours on 14th February 1942, as she approached the Bangka Strait, the Vyner Brooke was sighted, bombed and strafed by nine Japanese aircraft. A bomb landed to the rear of the bridge, going deep into the ship before exploding. Another went down the funnel and destroyed the engine room. A third bomb exploded in the sea beside the starboard side, causing a great hole in the ship's hull. She rolled onto her starboard side and sank within twenty minutes. ^[2] She was one of forty ships sunk by Japanese aircraft approaching the Bangka Strait that day alone. A further five ships made it through. ^[1]

Four of the six life-boats were launched, however, they immediately began filling with water from bullet and shrapnel holes received during the attacks. Ample life-rafts were successfully lowered for survivors. All passengers and crew had life-vests. ^[2] Most of the survivors reached Bangka Island, north of Sumatra in the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia); some within a few hours and some after three days afloat, such was the current. Sadly, half-a-dozen were carried out to sea. ^[1]

Vyner Brooke commemorative coin

The nurses

Sixty-five members of the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS), nursing staff of the 2/10th Australian General Hospital (Malacca, Malaya), 2/13th Australian General Hospital (Tampoi, Johor, Malaya) and 2/4th Australian Casualty Clearing Station (Kajang, Malaya), were aboard the Vyner Brooke. They had already been through the mayhem of the Japanese advance and evacuations since 8th December 1941. They had withdrawn from Malaya to Singapore (to The Anglo-Chinese School, St Patrick's School and The Swiss Club, respectively) and then suffered the bombings and deprivations of battle there.

Twelve lost their lives either during the bombing of the ship or in the water during more than 24 hours. All the survivors spoke of the extremely strong current and, where possible, they tied their life-rafts together so as to stay together. The six nurses whose life-rafts never made land had done exactly that. Their number also included some civilians and children. Although seen by other survivors, they were unable to be reached and, it is assumed, washed out to sea with their bodies never recovered: ^[2]

Photo	Name	Serial No.	Rank	Unit	Birth	Death	loss of life	Notable facts	Tree
	Louvima Bates	WFX11169	Sister	2/13 AGH	1 Jan 1910 Fremantle WA	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land	connected
	Ellenor Calnan	QFX19072	Nurse	2/10 AGH	4 May 1912 Culcairn NSW	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		killed during the bombing	connected
	Mary Clarke	QFX19072	Nurse	2/10 AGH	20 Jul 1911 Rylstone NSW	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land	connected
	Millicent Dorsch	SFX10597	Nurse	2/4 CCS	25 Feb 1912 Brighton SA	15 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land	connected
	Caroline Ennis	VFX38751	Sister	2/13 AGH	13 Aug 1913 Swan Hill VIC	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land	connected
	Kit Kinsella	VFX61126	Matron	2/4 CCS	1904 Sth Yarra VIC	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		killed during the bombing	connected
	Gladys McDonald	QFX22815	Sister	2/13 AGH	17 Jul 1909 QLD	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land	-
	Olive Paschke	VFX38812	Matron	2/10 AGH	19 Jul 1905 Dimboola VIC	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land; Royal Red Cross	connected
	Lavinia Jean Russell	NFX70571	Sister	2/10 AGH	21 Dec 1909 Hurstville NSW	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		killed during the bombing	connected
	Marjorie Schuman	NFX70520	Sister	2/10 AGH	28 Jan 1911 Inverell NSW	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		killed during the bombing	connected
	Annie Trenerry	SFX13419	Sister	2/13 AGH	31 May 1909 Moonta SA	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		life-raft never made land	connected
	Mona Wilton	VFX61225	Sister	2/13 AGH	8 Sep 1913 Willaura VIC	14 Feb 1942 Bangka Strait		killed by debris falling from ship	connected

Twenty-two nurses (the first chart below), mostly from the two life-boats launched from the port side but also some on individual life-rafts, landed on Radji Beach within hours of the sinking. It was these who had lit a bonfire on the beach that was seen by many survivors in the water, however, unable to approach the beach due to the currents. The small group were joined by other survivors over the next twenty-four hours. This chart lists those twenty-one Australian nurses killed – murdered – by twenty soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army, under the command of Captain Orita Masaru, who ordered them to walk into the ocean before turning a light machine gun and their rifles onto them. Vivian Bullwinkel was also one of this group, however, was wounded and feigned death, thereby escaping. Vivian is classified in the subsequent chart as she spent the war as a POW. The men who had landed on the beach, both military and civilian, were earlier slain nearby in two groups, the first bayoneted and the second shot. The wounded on their stretchers were the last to be executed, by bayonet where they lay. It has been said that these people were prisoners-of-war, however, this is false. Immediately the Japanese arrived on the beach they began slaying them. This event became known as the Bangka Island Massacre:^[2]

Photo	Name	Serial No.	Rank	Unit	Birth	Death	loss of life	Notable facts	Tree
	'Lainie' Balfour-Ogilvy	SFX10596	Sister	2/4 CCS	11 Jan 1912 Renmark SA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Alma Beard	WFX11175	Sister	2/13 AGH	14 Jan 1913 Toodyay WA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Ada Bridge	NFX76284	Sister	2/13 AGH	6 Jul 1907 Scone NSW	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Flo Casson	SFX13418	Sister	2/13 AGH	6 Mar 1908 Warracknabeal VIC	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		had been wounded seriously in the bombing	connected
	Mary Cuthbertson	VFX38746	Sister	2/10 AGH	5 Mar 1910 Stirling SA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Irene Drummond	SFX10594	Matron	2/13 AGH	26 Jul 1905 Ashfield NSW	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		mentioned in despatches posthumously	connected
	Dorothy 'Buddy" Elmes	NFX70526	Nurse	2/10 AGH	27 Apr 1914 Armadale VIC	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Lorna Fairweather	SFX13431	Sister	2/13 AGH	31 Jan 1913 Stirling SA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Peggy Farmaner	WFX3438	Sister	2/4 CCS	8 Mar 1913 Claremont WA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Clare Halligan	VFX47776	Sister	2/13 AGH	17 Sep 1904 Ballarat VIC	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		had been wounded in the bombing	connected
	Nancy Harris	NFX76285	Sister	2/13 AGH	15 Jan 1913 Guyra NSW	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	-
	Minnie Hodgson	WFX11174	Sister	2/13 AGH	16 Aug 1908 Perth WA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Nell Keats	SFX11647	Sister	2/10 AGH	1 Jul 1915 Adelaide SA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Jenny Kerr	NFX76279	Sister	2/13 AGH	8 Oct 1910 Monteagle NSW	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Ellie McGlade	NFX76275	Sister	2/13 AGH	2 Jul 1902 Armidale NSW	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected
	Kath Neuss	NFX70527	Sister	2/10 AGH	16 Oct 1911 Ballarat VIC	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		had been wounded seriously in the bombing	connected
	Florence Salmon	NFX70991	Sister	2/10 AGH	20 Oct 1915 Sydney NSW	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	-
	Jean Stewart	NFX70936	Sister	2/10 AGH	15 Oct 1904 Brisbane QLD	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	-
	Mona Tait	NFX76281	Nurse	2/13 AGH	6 Feb 1915 Booval QLD	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	-
	Rosetta Wight	VFX61329	Sister	2/13 AGH	3 Dec 1908 Fish Creek VIC	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		had been wounded seriously in the bombing	connected
	Bessie Wilmott	WFX3439	Sister	2/4 CCS	24 May 1913 Perth WA	16 Feb 1942 Bangka Island		-	connected

This third chart lists those Australian nurses who landed and surrendered in other parts of the island and were taken to the tin-smeltering town of Muntok. Whilst fortunate not to also have been brutally slain, they spent their next three-and-a-half years as POWs of the Japanese. Muntok's timber and corrugated-iron cinema hall, built for 200 seated movie-goers, was overflowing with some 1,000 internees by sunset on the 16th. The following morning all were marched out to the 'coolie camp' on the outskirts of the town, a stone-walled set of huts previously used by Chinese labourers in the local tin industry. Here there was a well offering brackish water, but no baths or showers. A small hospital hut was cleaned-up and staffed, albeit with no medicines. The oldest of the nurses were Nesta James (5 Dec 1903) and Eileen Short (15 Jan 1904), both 38 years of age. Nesta (2/10th AGH) was also the senior nurse. The youngest, at 25yo, were Joyce Tweddell (3 Jul 1916) and Wilma Oram (17 Aug 1916):^[2]