Returned Nurses RSL Sub-branch
Newspaper - Newspaper clipping, Pat Bowring, Duo brings a heroine's story to life, March 12 1988
... ...Peta Toppano...WW2 WWII World War Two Barry Quin A Town like Alice Bryan Brown Yorkshire South East Asia Sydney Rosie Matilda Oscar US United States Cocktail Tom Cruise Peta Toppano Emma Network Ten Victorian Vyner Brooke Banka Island A newspaper clipping consisting of a title, four columns of text and two black and white photos. ...
'Bullwinkel', an episode of 'Mike Willesee's Australians' stars Rachel Ward as Vivian Bullwinkel, a volunteer nurse in WWII. Vivian, while being evacuated after serving in Singapore in 1942, had her ship sunk by the Japanese. She and a handful of survivors were captured, ordered back into the water where they were machine gunned.
Vivian feigned death before creeping into the jungle. There she met Private Kingsley, who was barely alive, suffering horrific bayonet wounds. After ten days of nursing Kingsley in the jungle, they gave themselves up. This is where the episode ends. The real Kingsley eventually dies from lack of treatment and Vivian was to spend three years of incredible hardship as a Japanese prisoner of war.
Rachel describes Vivian as one of the true heroes of our recent past.A newspaper clipping consisting of a title, four columns of text and two black and white photos. The first photo depicts a man in military uniform standing near a young woman. The second photo depicts the same young woman with a different man's head on her shoulder.ww2, wwii, world war two, barry quin, a town like alice, bryan brown, yorkshire, south east asia, sydney, rosie, matilda, oscar, us, united states, cocktail, tom cruise, peta toppano, emma, network ten, victorian, vyner brooke, banka island