An article about World War II nurse, Mrs Flo Syer, a prisoner of war survivor on Bangka Island. Mrs Syer spent three years as a "white coolie" on the island. She will be making the trip back to the island for the memorial ceremony to commemorate the nurses that had been aboard the SS Vyner Brooke when it was bombed.Article roughly cut from a newspaer. There is a portrait photograph of a young nurse in the top left corner. The title is below this image, followed by a column of text. There are four more columns of text across the bottom and above them a large rectangle photograph of an older lady looking through a photo album.'NC2' [Handwritten in blue ink at the top right corner.world war 1939-1945, prisoners of war, army nurses, flo syer, ss vyner brooke, war memorials

This article is about Flo Syer, who as a nurse, served during World War 2 and was taken prisoner by the Japanese when the ship she was traveling on was sunk off Sumatra. Flo believes that women should also be remembered at Anzac Day services.A newspaper article clipped from a larger page with a large black and white photo of an older woman and three columns of text underneath'POW' [blue ink top right of page]ww2, wwll, pow, florence elizabeth syer, banka island

From 'The war years' liftout, part of the 'Australia Remembers 1945 - 1995' campaign. Article and photographs related to interview with Queensland nurses who served in WWII about their wartime experiences.Photocopy of article over two pieces of paper held together by sticky tape. Article has five columns and two photos of women who are identified as women who were nurses during WWII. There is also a small article and photo about a different matter.wwii, world war 2, world war two, wwll, australian army nursing service, aans, bangka island, ss vyner brooke, margaret hamilton, jessie ellen ridge, nell ridge, nell holmes, jessie ellen holmes, florence elizabeth syer, florence elizabeth trotter, flo trotter

The newspaper article gives a basic overview of two groups of POW nurses during World War 2. Twenty two of the nurses trying to escape from the Japanese in Singapore, February 1942, on the Vyner Brooke came ashore on Banka Island. A few days afterwards they were all machine gunned by the Japanese, with only one survivor, Vivian Bullwinkel. She managed to get herself and a wounded British soldier to Muntok, where they both became POWs (prisoners of war). Of the sixty nurses on the Vyner Brooke, twelve had drowned, twenty one had been murdered and thirty two had gone into prison. Those that would survive the war made it through on a terrible diet consisting mostly of rice, attempts of the Japanese to use them for 'entertainment', making their own entertainment in celebrating birthdays and holidays, having music concerts and terrible sicknesses including cerebral malaria. Finally after the Japanese surrendered they were met at an airstrip by the Matron in Chief, A.M. Sage. She was hoping for the full sixty five from the Vyner Brooke. There were twenty four left. Another group of nurses were captured by the Japanese in Rabaul, January 1942, where twenty of their patients were taken, killed and buried in a mass grave. The nurses were put in a prison camp with civilian women where they too were treated terribly. They would be knocked down and kicked if they didn't bow deep enough, or would have their captors trying to urinate on them while laughing. After being moved to Japan they continued to try to survive by eating glue they were using to make envelopes for the Japanese. Large newspaper page with a full page story consisting of five columns of text and a large, bold title beneath a large black and white group photo of forty six people, most in nurses uniforms'NC2' [circled, blue ink, middle left of page]world war 1939-1945, thelma mceachern, 10th australian general hospital, agh, radji beach, sumatra, banka strait, 2/22nd battalion, tootie mcpherson, mavis cullen, naruto maru, dutch, eurasian, iole harper, nesta james, waltzing matilda, margaret dryburgh, marjory jennings, norah chambers, new guinea, yokohama yacht club, yokohama, mount fuji, kay parker, eileen callaghan, banks island, betty jeffrey, flo trotter, blanche hempsted, perth, melbourne, melbourne cup, micky syer