The Vyner Brooke Tragedy

On 12 February 1942 sixty-five Australian Army Nursing Sisters were ordered to leave Singapore in the wake of the advancing Japanese army. They boarded 'Vyner Brooke' along with civilians.
Two days later the ship was discovered by Japanese aircraft and bombed. Twelve nurses drowned after the attack. Twenty-two nurses, many of them wounded, landed on Bangka Island.
The group was found by Japanese soldiers and forced to walk into the sea and were shot. One nurse named Vivian Bullwinkel although shot, feigned death, and later made her way to shore. She and the remaining thirty one nurses became prisoners of war for three and a half years. A further eight nurses died during this period of captivity. Twenty four nurses returned home.

This memorial was officially unveiled on 2 May 1999 by Mrs Vivian Statham (nee Bullwinkel) AO MBE ARRC FNM and another POW survivor Mrs Wilma Young (nee Oram) AM to celebrate the 100th year of Women's suffrage in Western Australia.

Location:
Honour Avenue (Point Walter Road) at Lake near Tennis Court
Bicton, WA

Massacred on Bangka Island
SFX10596 BALFOUR-OGILVIE Elaine
NFX76279 KERR Janet
NFX76275 McGLADE Mary
NFX76281 TAIT Mona

In Memory of
Louvima BATES
WFX11169
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
Alma BEARD
WFX 11175
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
NFX70528 Katherine BLAKE
QFX19074 Jessie BLANCH
QFX19071 Cecilia DELFORCE
NFX70449 Jessie DOYLE
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
NFX76282 Veronica CLANCY
QFX22822 Violet McELNEA
QFX22816 Kathryn MUIR
                  (Sylvia Jessie Mimmie MUIR)
VFX58783 Wilma ORAM
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
NFX70498 Winnie DAVIS
VFX39351 Robinia FREEMAN
QFX19068 Pearl MITTELHEUSSER
VFX48842 Irene SINGLETON
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
SFX10597 Hilda DORCH
VFX61126 Kathleen KINSELLA
QFX19072 Ellenor CALNAN
NFX70938 Mary CLARKE
May you rest peacefully

Massacred on Bangka Island
NFX70526 ELMES Dorothy
SFX11647 KEATES Ellen
NFX70527 NEUSS Kathleen
NFX70991 SALMON Florence
NFX70936 STEWART Esther

Lost At Sea
VFX38751 ENNIS Caroline
QFX22815 McDONALD Gladys
WFX38812 PASCHKE Olive
NFX70571 RUSSELL Lavinia

Massacred on Bangka Island
SFX13431 FAIRWEATHER Lorna
VFX47776 HALLIGAN Clarice
NFX76285 HARRIS Nancy
VFX38746 CUTHBERTSON Mary

In Memory of
Peggy FARMANER
WFX3438
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
TFX2183 Dora GARDAM
TFX5012 Wilhelmina RAYMONT
QFX22714 Pauline HEMPSTED
VFX61331 Gladys HUGHES
May your rest peacefully

In Memory of
NFX70937 Jean GREER
NFX70493 Janet GUNTHER
VFX39347 Nesta JAMES
VFX53059 Betty JEFFREY
May your rest peacefully

In Memory of
Iole HARPER
WFX11172
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
Minnie HODGSON
WFX11174
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
QFX19073 Christien OXLEY
WFX11105 Ada SYER
QFX19077 Florence TROTTER
QFX19070 Joyce TWEDDEL
                   (Joyce TWEDDELL)
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
NFX70512 Marjorie SCHUMAN
VFX61225 Mona WILTON
SFX13418 Annie TRENERRY
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
QFX22911 Eileen SHORT
TFX6023 Jessie SIMONS
QFX22819 Valerie SMITH
May you rest peacefully

Massacred on Bangka Island
VFX61329 WIGHT Rosetta
NFX76284 BRIDGE Ada
SFX13418 CASSON Florence
SFX10504 DRUMMOND Irene

In Memory of
Bessie WILMOTT
WFX3439
May you rest peacefully

In Memory of
VFX53060 Beryl WOODBRIDGE
SFX10595 Mavis HANNAH
SFX13548 Jean ASHTON
VFX61330 Vivian BULLWINKEL
May you rest peacefully

Memorial Avenue
Point Walter, Bicton, Western Australia

Location:
Honour Avenue (Point Walter Road)
Bicton, WA

Pte Thomas BLAIKIE
Killed in Action in France
July 31 1917 Aged 19
Planted by his Parents

L/S AG BROWN
F2918 RAN
Died of injuries 6th April 1944
Aged 45 yrs
Erected by his Sister

L/Cpl RG BROWN
521 C Coy
44th Battalion AIF
Killed in Action France
28-3-1918 Aged 21 yrs
Erected by his Parents

Pte Norman W CHOULES
11th Battalion AIF
Died of wounds France
May 10th 1917 Aged 29
Erected by his wife & sons

Pte CG COMPTON
Killed in Action
Battle of Hamel
July 8th 1918
Aged 22 yrs

Pte Hugh W CORMACK
32nd Battalion AIF
Died of wounds Fleurbaix
July 21st 1916 Aged 31 yrs
Planted by his wife & family

Gunner William E DENNEY
112th Battalion 4th Division
Killed in Action somewhere in France
Dec 7th 1916 Aged 29 yrs
Planted by his parents

Lieut Douglas FREEMAN
16th Battalion
Killed in Action
Somewhere in France
Sep 26th 1917 Aged 38yrs

Pte Fredrick GRAHAM
48 Battalion AIF
Killed in Action Belgium
Oct 12 1917 Aged 22
Planted by his Parents

Pte Frederick W GUNDILL
51st Battalion
Killed in Action Pozieres
Aug 14th 1916 Aged 27 years
Erected by his Parents

Pte Cecil E HITCHCOCK
11th Battalion
Killed in Action
Fleurbaix
May 28th 1916 Aged 23
Erected by his Father

Pte Hubert K HITCHCOCK
51 Battalion
Killed in Action
Vellers Bretonneux
Apr 24th 1918 Aged 23
Erected by his Father

Cpl SH HORROCKS
28th Battalion AIF
Died of wounds in Germany
Aug 2nd 1916 Aged 27 yrs
Planted by his Father & Mother

Pte Robert R HOWSON
48th Battalion AIF
Killed in Action in France
Apr 3rd 1918 Aged 21
Planted by his Parent

Pte William J JACKSON
28 Battalion AIF
Killed in Action Flares
Nov 6 1916 Aged 32
Planted by his Wife

Pte Harry JOHNSTONE
43rd Infantry Battalion AIF
Died of Wounds
Zonnebeck Flrs
Oct 6th 1917 Aged 20 yrs
Planted by his Family

Pte RM LESLIE
No.7591
51st Battalion AIF
Killed in Action
Villers Bretonneux
Apr 24th 1918 Aged 22

Pte John M MCINTYRE
51st Battalion
Died 20th Feb 1955
Planted by his Daughter

Corp Alexander RENTON
C Company 32nd Battalion
Killed in Action
Fleur Brix
Sept 13th 1916 Aged 21
Erected by his Mother

Corp William A RENTON
C Company 32nd Battalion
Killed in Action
Fleur Brix
Sept 13th 1916 Aged 21
Erected by his Mother

Pte John Henry ROY
28th Battalion AIF
Died of Wounds Suez
Aged 28 years
Planted by his mother

Pte John SLOPER
2/51st BATTALION
Died 12th Feb 1958
Planted by his Wife

Private Harry STIRK
51st Battalion
Killed in Action Moquet Farm
Sep 3rd 1916 Aged 24 yrs
Planted by E Jackson & A Munsie

IA WEST
427274 Flt Sgt RAAF
Erected by his Parents

Pte Ernest WORTH
27th Battalion
Killed in Action Frameuville
Erected by his wife