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An article submitted to the Ex Prisoners of War & Relatives Association by Lex Arthurson, to be included in their newsletter. The article is an account of the trek to Bangka Island for the memorial ceremony for those that did not make it home. It was attended by returned nurses and family members of those killed or who died in the camps and the Japanese bombings of ships. The nurses all agreed "we survived because we helped each other and cared for each other".

Three single-sided sheets of A4 paper with black type on each. There are margin line marks from where the pages were photocopied from a book.

'H74' [handwritten in blue ink in the top left corner of first page]

australian army nurses, wwii, ww2, world war two, australian prisoners of war, pows, vyner brooke, vivian statham (nee bullwinkel), bangka island memorial, memorial ceremonies, ellen mavis hannah, ellen mavis allgrove, joyce tweddell, jean ashton, wilma elizabeth forster oram

Photocopied section of a book titled 'Clinical Problems of War, volume 1 of Australia in the War of 1939-1945.' This particular excerpt is under the heading 'Other prison camps in the Far East' and is marked as pages 660 - 663. The excerpt is about the sinking of the Vyner Brooke and what happened to those onboard and others that were taken as prisoners of war in the Second World War.

Two single-sided A4 papers photocopied from a book in landscape orientation. Each sheet displays two pages from the open book (ie. 4 in total). There is a vertical black line down the centre of the page.

[multiple words and lines underlined in blue ink throughout the document] '65 / 24 survived / 41' [handwritten in blue ink at the end of the article]

australian army nurses, wwii, ww2, world war two, australian prisoners of war, pows, vyner brooke, treatment of australian prisoner of war nurses

An article about the care given to prisoners of war in Singapore and back in Australia by Sister Setchell (nee Hamilton). Sister Setchell joined the army in 1940 as a registered nurse, she was part of the evacuation of Singapore onboard the cargo liner, the Empire Star. In 1945 she was reassigned back to Singapore to aid the recovery of POWs. This story tells of the incredible impact she had on many of those soldiers.

Two page, single-sided email printout. At the top of the first page 'mary' is printed in bold type and underlined, followed by the email details and a short message. Below that is the article details and then the article typed in full.

'1/16 LOXTON STREET / Indooroopilly / 0733787309' [Handwritten in blue ink in the centre right of the first page] 'Attention Mustafa Eyiam / Footscray City College / Kinnear St / Footscray / Victoria 3011' [handwritten in blue ink on e back of the second page] 'Carmel Scarfe!' [Handwritten in black ink on the back of the second page] 'Peter / Sullivan [?] / 043883539[?] / 53758427 / 11/8 / Geelong' [handwritten in black ink on the back of the second page]

australian army nurses, wwii, ww2, world war two, sister setchell, margaret hamilton, australian prisoners of war, pows, singapore

The article appeared in 'The Village Observer' (the local publication for residents of Lane Cove and Northern Sydney suburbs) on page 27, in July 1999. It opens with.. "Alice Clarke of Greenwich Red Cross has sent us this letter from Sister Betty Jeffrey who was with Alice's sister, Mary, just prior to the fall of Singapore. The letter to Alice and Mary's mother explained the circumstances of the nurses that were involved in the War. It is a very tragic and compelling story and a vital record of our history." The letter is then printed in full, providing an account of the Nursing Sisters experience of the sinking of the Vyner Brooke.

Magazine article covering most of the page, divided into two columns of text. Heading in bold type at the top of the first column. At the bottom of the second column is a square box with an unrelated advert inside.

vyner brooke, singapore, malaya, australian army nurses, betty jeffrey, mary clarke, wwii, ww2, world war two

Information regarding a rededication service held at St James Old Cathedral, Melbourne, on Tuesday March 2nd, 1993. It reads... 'This service is arranged annually and, by their presence, members of the nursing profession, with their relatives and friends, reaffirm their dedication to nursing.

Printed single side flyer on light grey paper, double-line border around the page with black printed text within.

nursing, australian nurses, rededication services, ecumenical services

A program for a vaudeville show for the 52nd General Hospital on Saturday 1st December, 1917. This belonged to Irene Ethel Seuling and was found inside her copy of the booklet 'Song of Tiadatha'.

A very old, worn piece of paper in four pieces that have been taped together across the centre in both directions and on both sides.. The tape is now brittle and yellow and the print is quite faded in parts. There is an emblem of the 52nd General Hospital vaudeville group on the right hand side, the remaining areas are covered in black type.

52nd general hospital, ww1, wwi, world war one, 1917, entertainment, irene seuling

Citation for Miss Betty Constance Lawson, awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal in its 21st year on July 28 1967. The ceremony took place at the Headquarters for the Australian Red Cross. It is noted that as well as being a returned army nurse (serving in the South West Pacific area 1940-1945), Miss Lawson was an active member of the Victorian Nursing Council, Hospital Matrons Association Victoria, Mental Hygiene Authority Victoria, Centaur War Nurses Memorial Trust, Florence Nightingale Committee, and the Royal Victorian College of Nursing (vice president).

One typed page in black ink. There is a black cross in the top centre and the words Australian Red Cross Society beneath it. The text fills the whole page.

'M63' [handwritten in blue ink on the top right corner]

australian army nurse, florence nightingale medal, betty constance lawson, betty lawson, australian red cross

Colourful souvenir booklet celebrating the Royal Victoria County Park in South Hampshire. The park was the original site for the Royal Victoria Hospital, built in1856 to nurse the wounded from the Crimean War, it was the first and largest military hospital to serve the British Empire. This booklet offers a detailed history and photographs and concludes with how the grounds are used today.

Staple bound glossy magazine. Cover displays a background of a dark black and grey photo of soldiers, over which is printed the title in cream print. Above the title, at the top of the page is the name and illustrated image of Royal Victoria Country Park. In the centre is a large square template containing a collage of illustrations of the Queen, a nurse, a wounded soldier and another soldier, a long drive leading up to a grand building.

'M98' [handwritten in blue ink on a white label attached to the bottom of the spine and another attached to the top right corner of the cover]

royal victoria country park, military hospitals, royal army medical corps, royal army nursing corps, royal victoria hospital-south hampshire, crimean war, british empire military hospitals - history

Handwritten letter between two friends, Catie[?] and Mary H, members of the Returned Nurses Club. The letter was originally sent with some photos that Mary refers to of a commemoration ceremony in Canberra.

Handwritten letter in blue ink on lined paper.

australian army nurses, army nurses, returned nurses club, correspondence

A poem written about the nurses who served in Vietnam and their experiences alongside the soldiers. The poem is untitled, however, the line repeated multiple times is "we were also there". The initials AC appear at the bottom.

Photocopy of a handwritten poem, three stanzas in length. Written on feint lines, with a black line down the right side of the page from the copier.

war poetry, vietnam war, nurses in vietnam, australian army nurses

Article is related to the dedication of the Australian Service Nurses National Memorial in October 1999. Twenty attendees are presented with headshot photographs, identifying information and a brief quote about their service. This includes down the centre of the spread is a brief chronology of ‘A century of nursing service’ from May 1899 to 1999. People interviewed: - [Janet] Pat[teson] Darling [neé Gunther], Former Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) WWII - Eve[lyn Edith] Bidstrup [neé Blacker], Former AANS WWII - Flight Lieutenant Kathleen Pyne, Current (at printing) Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS) Rwanda - Lorna [Margaret (Skeet)] Johnston [neé Whyte], Former AANS - Shirley Rolfe, Former RAAFNS Korea - Pam Campbell, Former RAAFNS Korea - David Werda, Former Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC) Somalia - Wilma [Elizabeth Forster] Young [neé Oram] Former AANS WWII - Wing Commander Geoff Robinson, Royal Australian Air Force Gulf War - Lieutenant Commander Allan Barratt, Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service (RANNS) Gulf War - Major Nick Massotti, RAANC Gulf War - Florence [Elizabeth] Syer [neé Trotter] AANS WWII - Margaret Mills, RAANC Korea - Major Anne Blundell, RAANC Cambodia - Brigadier Perditta [Marjorie] McCarthy, Former RANNC WWII - Barbara McKewon, Former RAAFNS Malayan Emergency & Vietnam - Judith Robson, Former RAAFNS Vietnam - Edith [Dorothy Kate] Eadie [neé Butler], Former AANS WWII - Lieutenant Colonel Beverly Wright, RAANC Rwanda - Captain Judith Spencer, RAANC Rwanda

Centre newspaper spread with twenty colour headshot captioned photographs and a large central box with text as a chronology and blue background. Spread has a red border at the top of the page underneath publication information.

memorial, nursing in warfare, history, military nurses, australian service nurses national memorial

Article provides a brief history of nursing in warfare from Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War (1854-1856) and the formation of nursing services in Australia from the Boer War through to the nursing officers on peacekeeping missions in the 1990’s. Point of the article is 100 years of military nurses and the planned national memorial for military nurses.

Centre newspaper spread with two colour photographs and three black and white photographs. Article has ten columns of text. Spread has a blue and red border at the top and bottom of the page, blue inside, red outside. One colour photograph is of an elderly woman in a wheelchair looking down, she is wearing a khaki coloured hat, green coat with medals on the left side of her chest and a plaid skirt. The other colour photograph is of six older women seated or standing and a man in a suit standing between them. The black and white photograph at the top centre of the article is of eight young women in nurses uniform leaning on the railing of a ship. The black and white photograph at the top on the right is of a woman in uniform upright and four men lying, strapped in beds and bunks. The third black and white photograph at the bottom of the page on the left is of three middle aged women in nursing uniforms with medals pinned on the left of their capes.

memorial, nursing in warfare, history, military nurses

A brief account written by Lyla McCauley about the island of Labuan (north-west Borneo). It highlights the differences between the island today and the island in 1945, when it became the final resting place of many Prisoners Of War. The account goes on to compare various other POW cemeteries in South East Asia and Jakarta.

Five typed paragraphs in black print on a white, single-sided, piece of A4 paper.

war memorial, war cemeteries, pows, australian prisoners of war, labuan island, wwii, ww2, world war two, lyla mccauley

Newspaper article on the process leading to the unveiling of the National Memorial to Vietnam Veterans. Includes mention of Australian Vietnam nurses Colleen Thurgar (neé Mealy)and Jan McCarthy and US Vietnam nurse Dianne Carlson-Evans. Other article about a concert being held as part of the unveiling featuring many performers from the Vietnam war era.

Large full page newspaper clipping with text in eight columns and two large black and white photographs, one of people watching a female performer on stage, the other of three people (two men and a woman) standing inside an architectural feature.

vietnam war, memorial, australian vietnam forces national memorial

A collection of ephemera from the 5th National Reunion of the Ex-Prisoners of War Australia, held in Melbourne in October 1984. The collection includes items from a variety of events that ran throughout the week. 1. An invite card to 'A Memorabilia Display' held at the Myer Mural Hall on October 1st. 2. Order of Service for the Service of Thanksgiving and Commemoration held at the Shrine of Remembrance on the 7th October. 3. Song sheet for the Ex POW Sing Along, includes the words to seven songs. 4.Souvenir programme to the Gala Variety concert held at the Melbourne Concert Hall on October 4th.

Collection of 4 pieces of ephemera. A white invitation card with black type. A double-sided song sheet with brown print. A single-fold order of service with a colour photo of the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance on the front. A staple-bound, brown and cream, souvenir concert programme.

memorabilia, pows, ex-prisoners of war, reunions, commemoration ceremonies, commemorative concert, war songs, melbourne, ww2, wwii, world war two

The 1989 Weary Dunlop Tribute Concert at the Melbourne Concert Hall (now known as Hamer Hall) was a landmark event organized to honor the legendary World War II surgeon and prisoner-of-war hero, Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop, coinciding with the launch of his acclaimed book The War Diaries of Weary Dunlop. (taken from the Australian War Memorial website)

Staple-bound booklet. Cover is covered (both front and back), with a coloured image of a green woollen rug covered in ornate framed picture frames. The frames contain photographs from the private collection of Sir Edward Weary Dunlop. Across the image at the bottom of the front cover, the title and date is printed in gold text.

ww2, wwii, world war two, ernest edward (weary) dunlop, melbourne concert hall, tribute concert, australian army medical corps, burma-siam railroad

A letter and report from June Stone, providing an account of her experience as the representative and Official Mourner for World War II Servicewomen, at the service and funeral procession for the Unknown Australian Soldier at the War Memorial in Canberra, November 11th, 1993.

Collection of typed documents on white paper. The first is a 'with compliments' slip with the RSL emblem and a typed message. The second is a full page letter on a Council of Ex-servicewomen's Association (NSW) letterhead. Followed by a two page typed report. The final page contains a funeral procession diagram set out in a black rectangle template.

'M86' [handwritten in blue ink in the top right corner of the 'with compliments' slip]

returned navy army and air force sisters, june stone, war memorial, unknown australian soldier, ceremonies, australian war memorial, world war two servicewomen

Three pieces of correspondence relating to the great care Sister Reynolds provided to a patient, a young boy named Daniel Massey, at Wandene Private Hospital (Werribee, Melbourne) in 1944. The first letter is from Lt. Col. Lydia Shaw (Principle Matron Australian Army Nursing Service) to Sister Reynolds. The second is to Matron Shaw, from Grace Wilson (office of Deputy Director General of Manpower - Department of Labour and National Service). The third to Matron Shaw from B M Williams (Wandene Private Hospital).

Three pages of copied correspondence. The first is a handwritten full page letter in black ink. The second is a typed letter on A4 paper. The third is a typed letter on paper that has been cut short, to a smaller length.

'M88' [handwritten in blue ink in the top right corner of the first page]

australian army nursing serice, aans, 1944, wandene private hospital-werribee (melbourne), daniel massey, lydia shaw, sister reynolds, nursing care, australian nurses

"These four tracks are excerpts from a ceremony of remembrance performed in the Canterbury Memorial Hall on 11th November, 1961" (taken from slip cover). Track list: Side A - Lest we forget Last post They shall grow not old Reveille National anthem Side B - Last post Reveille National anthem

7 inch (45 rpm) vinyl record inside a slip cover. The cover has a black and white photo of the Shrine of Remembrance (Melbourne) on the front and record details printed in black text on the back.

'M40' [handwritten in blue ink in the top left corner of the back cover]

heidelberg repatriation hospital - melbourne, veteran affairs minister, returned soldiers medical acre, department of veterans affairs

Commemorative programme for the opening of a radiotherapy centre at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne in 1992.

Single fold booklet on card. Front cover shows a deep green panel running down the left side with a white square at the top displaying the Australian coat of arms in black ink. The right side of the cover has the event information printed in green and black text and at the bottom is a black and white photograph of a hospital building.

'VA8' [handwritten in blue ink in the top left corner]

heidelberg repatriation hospital - melbourne, veteran affairs minister, returned soldiers medical acre, department of veterans affairs

List of all the nursing staff (8th Division) that were evacuated from Singapore on the 12th February 1942 aboard the ship 'Vyner Brooke'. The list includes their names, unit details, state of enlistment in Australia, and their fate. List was compiled by Charles E Stuart, BEM, State Secretary of the Ex POW and relative association, King St Melbourne.

Three pages of landscape orientation typed lists.The first page is yellow paper, the following two are white. The lists are divided into five columns and there is a typed heading in the top centre of the first page.

ww2, wwii, world war two, ss vyner brooke, vyner brooke, australian army nurses, 8th division army medical corps, banka island, bangka island, prisoner of war, 1942

List of all the nursing staff (8th Division) that were evacuated from Singapore on the 12th February 1942 aboard the ship 'Vyner Brooke'. The list includes their names, unit details, state of enlistment in Australia, and their fate. List was compiled by Charles E Stuart, BEM, State Secretary of the Ex POW and relative association, King St Melbourne.

Collection of landscape orientation typed lists on white A4 paper in black ink. The lists are divided into five columns with a solid black line between each one. There is a typed heading in the top centre of the first page.

'H71' [Handwritten in blue ink in the top right corner of the front page] 'H52' [Handwritten in the top left corner of the front page] [white out marks on the top right corner of the front page] '(NOW MRS FRANK STATHAM' [handwritten in blue ink, fourth line up from the bottom of the front page] [some underlying, question marks and initials handwritten in blue ink throughout document]

ww2, wwii, world war two, ss vyner brooke, vyner brooke, australian army nurses, 8th division army medical corps, banka island, bangka island, prisoner of war, 1942

Commemorative booklet for the dedication ceremony of the Australian Army Nurses' Memorial on Bangka Island. The ceremony took place on March 2, 1993. It represented the 'fulfilment of a proposal (for the memorial) raised in 1992 by Matron Vivian Statham on behalf of her colleagues of the Australian Army Nursing Service.' The booklet contains historiacl information and photographs and the order of service.

Staple-bound booklet with white cover. Title is printed in black ink in the top centre. The bottom centre displays the emblem of the Australian Commonwealth Military Force. In the middle is a coloured painting of eight nurses wearing the red capes and white veils.

'H74' [Handwritten in blue ink in the top left corner of the front cover]

ww2, wwii, world war two, ss vyner brooke, vyner brooke, bangka island, bangka island memorial, vivian statham (nee bullwinkel), australian army nurses, prisoners of war, australian army nursing service, aans

The commemorative programme for the 'Song of Survival concert' held by the Red Cross at the Perth Concert Hall on the 22nd August, 1990. The concert was to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of the release of Australian Army Nurses from a prison camp in Sumatra. Along with the programme for the evening, it also includes historical information and information on all those involved. In the prison camp in Sumatra a vocal orchestra was formed amongst the women, they sang together for over a year amidst the death and despair and filth of the camp, providing hope and some joy in such a terrible place. This concert was organised in their honour and to aid the Red Cross. 74 singers were trained to recreate the Vocal Orchestra of Sumatra.

Staple-bound booklet on white paper. The cover is covered in sheet music and the title and event details are printed over the top in black ink. There is the red symbol of the Australian Red Cross Society printed at the top of the front cover.

world war two, ww2, wwii, australian army nurses, prisoners of war-sumatra, vochal orchestra of sumatra, song of survival concert, sumatra, prisoner of war camp, commemorative concert

An invitation from the members of S I Deakin to attend a musical afternoon on Sunday October 22, 2000. The afternoon is in remembrance of Sister Vivian Bullwinkel and the Australian Army Nurses who were prisoners of war in Sumatra during World War II. In the prison camp in Sumatra a vocal orchestra was formed. In 1990 Vivian Bullwinkel organised a concert to aid the Red Cross, entitled 'Song of survival', where 74 singers were trained to recreate the Vocal Orchestra of Sumatra. The musical afternoon includes a viewing of the taped recording of that concert with afternoon tea to follow. The second page of the document is a programme of the order of songs and music from the Song of Survival concert.

Double-sided photocopy on white A4 paper. The first side contains an invitation in black type with bold headings surrounded by a double-lined border. The second side is a typed programme list, headings in bold type, surrounded by a border made up of a continuous line of musical notes in bold black print.

'Soroptomist Headquarter / 383 Toorak Road / South Yarra / Phone 982722720' [Handwritten in black ink, right side of first page]

world war two, ww2, wwii, vivian bullwinkel, australian army nurses, prisoners of war-sumatra, vochal orchestra of sumatra, song of survival concert

A copy of a collection of poems written by Herbert William Morris (12th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force) during the operations in the Dardenelles, providing a first hand account from a true ANZAC. The opening letter reads (in part).. 'They were written in my Dug-out during lulls in the fighting, and are correct in detail and a truthful and unexaggerated account of the actual happenings.' [Herbert William Morris] List of poems: ANZAC Day Sons of Australia The charge of the Third Brigade The Battle of Sari-Bair The Sacrifice Trench Morals Pals Tribute to a fallen comrade The curse of war Absent reflections The evacuation of ANZAC

Twelve pages of cream coloured, A4 paper with one poem typed in black ink on each page. The top page has a typed letter from the author set out in the centre of the page. There are two hole punch marks down the left side.

wwi, ww1, world war one, herbert william morris, anzac, australian war poetry, war poems, dardenelles, australian imperial force

A copy of a magazine created and distributed amongst those serving aboard the hospital ship Wanganella in 1942. The magazine/journal is put together by a group of personnel and includes news and entertainment, birthday and anniversary news, editorials and comical pieces, as well as letters to the editor.

Single-fold paper booklet. Typed in black ink. Front cover shows a black line border with the title written in capitals in an arch across the top of the page. Beneath the title is a typed hymn and around the printed text are hand drawn illustrations of camels, vases, people and a street scene resembling the Middle East.

'M63' [handwritten in red marker on front cover] 'B Lawson for RNC / Archives' [handwritten in black ink on the front cover]

ww2, wwii, world war two, wanganella, hospital ship - wanganella, news and entertainment on hospital ships

A copy of a magazine created and distributed amongst those serving aboard the hospital ship Wanganella in 1942. The magazine/journal is put together by a group of personnel and includes news and entertainment, birthday and anniversary news, editorials and comical pieces, as well as letters to the editor.

Single-fold paper booklet. Typed in black ink. Front cover shows a hand drawn image inside a black line border of a bank building on a street corner. On the wall is written 'money lent on anything' and 'AID for AIF' and 'dough lent'. The title is written in capitals in an arch across the top of the page.

'M63' [handwritten in red marker on front cover] 'B Lawson for RNC / Archives' [handwritten in black ink on the front cover]

ww2, wwii, world war two, wanganella, hospital ship - wanganella, news and entertainment on hospital ships