Historical information

WWII historical significance

Physical description

Portrait of Vivian Bullwinkel AO, MBE (1915 - 2000)

Inscriptions & markings

Vivian Bullwinkel, a Second World War army nursing sister, is best known as the sole survivor of the infamous Banka Island massacre, in which 21 of her colleagues were killed by Japanese troops. Her courage while a prisoner pf the Japanese for over three and a half years exemplified the bravery of Australian women in war, and her distinguished postwar career was marked by many humanitarian achievements.