Nursing a memory Several of the nurse survivors of the Banka Straits tragedy share their stories and personal recollections of the war. Some nurses wrote books, some talk about staying optimistic while being POWs, others say they've never stopped being stunned by the war years. Fifty years after the Banka Straits tragedy and the years the POWs spent in camps in Sumatra, the poignancy has not been dulled, and has been etched into the memories of the nurses who survived. Betty Jeffery, now in her 80's, says that despite the hardships she faced, it change her life for the better. When the ship, the Vyner Broooke, was bombes she was in the water for seventy hours. In the POW camps they slept on concrete floors and starved as food was allowed to rot just out of reach. The nurses that endured so much together have stayed in touch. Betty has also written a highly successful book, 'White Coolies', based on diaries of her experience. Of all the nurses Vivian Bullwinkel is the most celebrated, her story being one of ultimate survival. One of a group of about 100 survivors after the sinking of the Vyner Brooke, she and the others thought the Japanese wouldn't kill such a large number when they surrendered to them. The Australian soldiers were bayonetted, the nurses and civilians were lined up in the sea and shot. Vivian played dead. A tribute to Aussie courage A brief recounting of the sinking of the Vyner Brooke and the survivors' three and a half years as prisoners of war of the Japanese. Of the sixty-five who attempted to evacuate Singapore on the Vyner Brooke, twenty-four made it home to Australia. A memorial to the brave Australian nurses has been organised to ensure their contribution is remembered forever.A large newspaper clipping consisting of two stories with titles and four columns of text each. The larger story also has two black and white photos, on of an older woman holding a book, and the other of two young women leaning in toward each otherww2, wwii, world war two, vivian statham, 13th agh, aif, army nurses, vyner brooke, banka strait, banka straits, florence night, florence nightingale medal, muntok, malacca, iole harper, australian army nurses, wanganella, katong, perth, red cross, english, kingsley, heidelberg repatriation hospital, fairfield hospital, wilma oram, 13th, 13th australian general hospital, murtoa, warrnambool, allies, singapore, johore baru, wilma young, cardinia, jessie simons, in japanese hands - australian nurses as pows, jessie hookaway, tasmania, british, singapore harbour, banka island, empire star, prisoner of war, palembang, sumatra, malay, dutch, ex-prisoners of war association of australia, sir edward 'weary' dunlop, max lee, glen waverley, jenny greer

Two colour prints of Norm Maddock, former Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Branch of the Tramways Union and Malvern Tramway Museum alongside Scrubber No. 8 at the BTM depot 6/10/2009. See October 2009 Fares Please! See Melbourne Tram Museum item No. 7582 for a photo of Norm at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial. Has a strong association with Norm Maddock, former Assistant Tramways Union secretary and driver of the scrubber tram. Photographed during a visit to Ballarat and the War Memorial.Set of two colour prints on digital prints.trams, tramways, scrubber tram, btm depot, unions, tram 8

Illustrated book, with three black and white photographs of Wilma Oram Young (as student nurse, in army uniform and in older age). There is a mid-brown band above this photo on which the title is printed in black and white, below the photos there is a black band on which the author's name is printed in light brown. Spine has mid brown background with title printed in black, author's name in light brown, and publisher's mark in white. The back cover has a summary of the book printed in black ink on a light brown background.non-fictionThis is the story of one of Australia's most remarkable women. As a prisoner of war for three and a half years during World War II, Wilma Oram, a young Australian nurse experienced the very worst of human brutality: starvation, deprivation and degradation. Yet, through the comradeship of her fellow prisoners, she also experienced humankind at its best. Following her return to Australia, Wilma was inspired to help her fellow ex-POWs and war veterans through her tireless work with the RSL.wilma oram young, nurses-australia-biography, world ward 1939-1945-prisoners and prisons-japaneses

Photo of Norm Maddock, an ex Prisoner of War visiting the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial on 6/10/2009 and another photo of the memorial looking the other way. Date from Ballarat Tramway Museum item No 4498. Not known who took the photo.Has a close association with Norm Maddock and his visit to Ballarat ex-Prisioner's of War Memorial.Set of two colour prints on Kodak Xtralife paper.trams, tramways, norm maddock, ballarat