In this article, I would like to discuss the role of women. In 2023, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra unveiled the statue of Vivian Bullwinkel. This was the first sculpture at the War Memorial to recognise the service of an individual woman or nurse.
Ms Bullwinkel was the sole survivor of a massacre of nurses that occurred off Bangka Island in 1942. That massacre saw the slaughter of 21 of her colleagues following the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke by the Japanese.
Ms Bullwinkel had joined the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1941 and was sent to Singapore in September 1941. In 1942 Singapore fell. Nurses were evacuated and on 12 February 12, 1942, Ms Bullwinkel and another 65 nurses boarded the SS Vyner Brooke. It was sunk two days later.
After the war, Ms Bullwinkel and Betty Jeffrey established the Nurses Memorial Centre. Ms Bullwinkel went on to serve as matron at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. Ms Jeffrey served as matron of the Alfred Hospital.
There are 13 memorials on Canberra’s Anzac Parade, one of which is dedicated to the nurses.
When the new war memorial was established at Yarroweyah, consideration was given to recording Elizabeth Baglin on the memorial. Ms Baglin had trained as a nurse at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg. In 1940, she enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service. She was hospitalised with mumps in 1940 and sailed for overseas in 1941. She disembarked at Fremantle en route and was admitted to hospital for asthma and seasickness. As she failed to improve her contract was terminated.
She had been willing to serve.
Across Moira Shire and its predecessor shires, other young women had offered themselves for service.
Agnes Devine, from Naring, enlisted in 1917 and served in hospitals near Bombay (now Mumbai) in India. Ms Devine contracted malaria during her return journey and was hospitalised. She is memorialised on the Numurkah Mural, Numurkah Shire Honour Roll and the Numurkah War Memorial.
Another from the Moira shire — then Numurkah Shire — who served was Margaret Anderson. She served with the Australian Army Nursing Service during World War I.
It is noteworthy that during World War I, 2861 women served in the Australian Army Nursing Service. Some of these stories were told in the ABC television series Anzac Girls broadcast in 2015.
This series highlighted the stories of real nurses, including Grace Wilson, Alice Ross King, Elsie Cook and others.
Grace Wilson served as matron of the Australian Army General Hospital and matron-in-chief of the Australian Imperial Force.
She also served as matron-in-chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1925 and joined the Second Australian Imperial Force in World War II. Wilson served as matron at the Royal Children’s Hospital between November 1920 and 1922. She served as matron of the Alfred Hospital from 1933, resigning following her call-up to World War II.
In World War II, some 5000 nurses served. The Australian Army Nursing Service was the first established. The Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service was created in 1940. This was followed by the Royal Australian Navy Nursing Service in 1942.
Women also served in other ways, including in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force. A number served at the Tocumwal Airbase.
To honour those who served, Tocumwal has the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force Creek Walk. This is a walk with interpretive signage telling the stories of these women.
Among others to serve was Numurkah’s Agnes Margaret Laidlaw, who enlisted in 1942 and was discharged in 1944, having attained the rank of corporal. Lorna Jean Linehan enlisted in 1943 and discharged in 1946.
Women have traditionally been under-represented on memorials. The Bullwinkel monument was the first at the Australian War Museum.
Violet Town this year unveiled a mural, the first recognising women’s service.
– Peter Sutton
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