January 2026
On this Remembrance Day, we honour one of our own — a South Australian nurse whose courage, compassion, and professional integrity continue to shape the identity of nursing and midwifery in Australia.
Vivian Bullwinkel, born in Kapunda, served with the Australian Army Nursing Service during World War II. In 1942, while evacuating patients and personnel from Singapore, her ship — the SS Vyner Brooke — was bombed by Japanese aircraft. Vivian and a group of nurses reached Bangka Island, believing they had found safety. Instead, they faced one of the darkest moments in our profession’s history.
On Radji Beach, the nurses were ordered by Japanese soldiers to walk into the sea. In those final moments of solidarity, their Matron, Irene Drummond, called out the words that have echoed through generations of nurses:
“Chins up, girls. I’m proud of you and I love you all.”
It was a final act of leadership, love, and unwavering professional dignity.
Moments later, the soldiers opened fire. Twenty-one nurses were killed. Vivian, though shot and wounded, survived by feigning death. When the beach fell silent, she crawled into the jungle, where she found another survivor — British soldier Private Cecil Kingsley. Drawing on her training and compassion, she cared for him for nearly two weeks. When they could no longer survive alone, they surrendered together. Kingsley died soon after, and Vivian was taken prisoner, enduring more than three years in captivity.
After the war, Vivian carried the weight of what she had witnessed with extraordinary courage. She gave evidence at the war crimes hearings, ensuring the truth of what happened on Radji Beach was formally recorded and that her colleagues’ voices were heard when they could no longer speak for themselves.
Despite profound trauma, Vivian returned home and continued her nursing career. She became a fierce advocate for veterans, a champion for the recognition of her fallen colleagues, and a leader who helped shape the future of nursing in Australia. Her legacy lives on in every nurse and midwife who upholds compassion, courage, and care in the face of adversity.
Vivian Bullwinkel was not only a survivor — she was a nurse who embodied the very best of our profession. Her story reminds us that the values we carry into our work each day have the power to endure, inspire, and heal across generations.
Every year, the South Australian Women’s Memorial Playing Fields Trust (SAWMPFT) honours the nurses who served, suffered, and sacrificed during the war — including those lost on Bangka Island. The next commemorative service will be held on 15 February at 10 am at theWomen’s Memorial Playing Fields (Cnr Shepherds Hill and Ayliffe Road) continuing a tradition of remembrance that ensures their stories are never forgotten. All are welcome to attend this service.