Matron (Major) Olive Dorothy PASCHKE No VX38812 enlisted in the AAMC on 3.8.40 age 35 years. Promoted to Matron 8.1.1941, posted to 10th AGH on 11.1.1941, embarked for Malaya 3.2.1941 disembarking 18.2.1941, awarded the RRC 1st Class 1.1.1942 in the New Years Honors list signed by Gordon Bennett, detached to 2/4th CCS on 6.1.1942, embarked from Singapore 12.2.1942 for Australia. She was serving in Singapore when the Japanese invaded. She with many other Nurses during the bombing left on the ill fated "Vyner Brooke" which was later bombed by the Japanese in the Sundra Straits near Banka Island. Abandoning the ship she and 5 other Nurses drifted away on a raft and never seen again on 14.2.42. Many others became POW,s, drowned or murdered by the Japanese. Her records state believed killed on or after 11.2.142 dated 8.6.1944 then Now reported missing and for official purposes presumed dead, dated 11.4.1945. Records state she was granted the promotion of Major in 1943. CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) RRC ( Royal Red Cross) AGH (Australian General Hospital)Five page "order of service" re the unveiling of a memorial to "Matron O.D. Paschke RRC AANS 10th Australian General hospital." at the Dimboola Memorial High school." A sepia tone photo of O.D Paschke is stapled inside the order of service." printing is in blue & Brown. Front page has the Australian coat of arms at the top.documents - pamphlets, religon - christian, paschke, pow

The story of Dorothy Paschke and the memorial built in honour of her service and sacrifice in the Second World War. Matron Paschke was aboard the Vyner Brooke ship when it was bombed. She made it on to a small raft with seven other nurses and some civillians. Despite their attempts to steer the raft towards Banka Island where the other nurses landed, the current pulled them out to sea. After eighteen hours, Dorothy and three others slid into the water to paddle alongside, in the hopes it would lighten the load and help them reach shore. The current pulled Dorothy further out to sea and she was not seen again. A memorial sundial has been built in her honour and stands at the Dimboola Memorial High School.Two pages of photocopies of black and white newspaper pages. The first page is a copy of half a page. The second page is a copy of a full page printed on two sheets of paper taped together. Publication details printed across the top of both pages. The half page contains five columns of text and on the right is a portrait of Matron Paschke, to the left of the image is another image of the first page of a memorial book in her honour. (The page also contains unrelated advertisements). The second page continues the story with five columns of text in the middle of the page, above and below the text are photographs from the unveiling ceremony of the memorial sundial built in her honour. (Below and around the article are seven unrelated advertisements.)australian army nurses, wwii, ww2, world war 1939-1945, olive dorothy paschke, olive dorothy paschke memorial, vyner brooke