Vivian Bullwinkel served as an Australian Army nurse during the Second World War and remains the only survivor of the Bangka Island Massacre. On 16 February 1942, Japanese soldiers executed 21 of her colleagues on Radji Beach in the Dutch East Indies. Bullwinkel feigned death after being shot, later enduring over three years in captivity before her eventual liberation.
Early Career and War Enlistment
Born in Kapunda in 1915, Bullwinkel completed her nursing and midwifery training in Broken Hill, New South Wales. She initially served in Hamilton, Victoria, and at the Jessie McPherson Hospital in Melbourne. Although the Royal Australian Air Force rejected her application due to flat feet, she successfully joined the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1941. She was deployed to Singapore with the 2/13th Australian General Hospital.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The Bangka Island Massacre
Following the fall of Singapore, Bullwinkel boarded the SS Vyner Brooke on 12 February 1942. When the vessel was destroyed by aircraft, she reached Radji Beach. After local forces killed the male survivors, soldiers ordered the remaining nurses to enter the water, where they were machine-gunned from behind. A bullet passed through Bullwinkel’s body without hitting vital organs, allowing her to hide alongside a British soldier for 12 days before their capture.
Post-War Nursing and Advocacy
Upon returning to Australia, Bullwinkel retired from military service in 1947 to become Director of Nursing at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. She testified at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal that same year. Her career included leadership in the Australian College of Nursing and the Council of the Australian War Memorial. In 1975, she organized the nursing team for Operation Babylift, overseeing the medical transport of Vietnamese orphans.
Awards and Legacy
Bullwinkel received numerous accolades, including the Florence Nightingale Medal, membership in the Order of the British Empire, and becoming an Officer of the Order of Australia. Following her death in Perth in 2000, she was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Her legacy is marked by buildings and institutions bearing her name, including the Vivian Bullwinkel Lodge and a memorial statue at the Australian War Memorial.
Fast facts
- Born: 1915, Kapunda, Australia
- Died: 2000, Perth, Australia
- Military Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Florence Nightingale Medal: 1947
- Member of the Order of the British Empire: 1973
- Officer of the Order of Australia: 1993
- Posthumous Victorian Honour Roll of Women: 2001
Questions readers ask
Did Vivian Bullwinkel survive the war?
Yes, she survived the Bangka Island Massacre and three and a half years of captivity, living until 2000.
What was her role in Operation Babylift?
In 1975, she led a nursing team from Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital to Vietnam to assist in the evacuation of orphans to Australia.
Achievements
- Member of the Order of the British Empire — 1973
- Officer of the Order of Australia — 1993
- Florence Nightingale Medal — 1947
