Sister Vivian Bullwinkle and the massacre of nurses by the Japanese

[The Aviator]

It was very hard to find old Vivian's story amoung the political correctness on the net today. But I finally did and I am very proud to put this lady's story on this forum for all to read.

Vivian Bullwinkle Banka Island 1942
During World War 2, H. M. S. Vyner Brooke sailed from Singapore with 64 Australian nursing sisters amongst its 192 evacuees. On entering In the Banka Straits the ship was attacked by Japanese planes - the ship was hit repeatedly. The Bridge was totally destroyed, and the steering stopped operating. On fire, the Captain gave orders for the ship to be abandoned. Twenty minutes later the ship sank. Most of the survivors who had spent all afternoon and night in the water, landed on a beach near Muntok where they set up a camp and commenced tending the wounded. A couple of days later they were discovered by a Japanese patrol. Those that could walk were marched round a small headland, lined up and shot - those lying wounded were bayoneted to death. Just one survived the bayoneting. The nurses were then ordered to walk into the sea, on reaching waist height the Japanese commenced to machine gun them and all were killed save one......Sister Vivien Bullwinkle, who was shot through the throat. Vivien said in a later interview that she lay floating for what seemed hours before raising her head to find the beach deserted - save for her dead comrades floating around her and those that had already died on the beach. She was taken to a prisoner of war camp - barely alive and suffering from sun and sea exposure - her chances of survival were very slim. Sun blisters, meant her mouth was completely closed and doctors fed her through a small opening at the corner of her mouth by means of a small glass dropper. After recovering Vivien was able to relate to others what had actually happened on the beach but was ordered to stay silent for her own safety - the Japanese certainly wouldn't have allowed the only surviving eye witness of this massacre to go on living. Vivien survived the War, and was able to tell her story to the War crimes tribunal.
Vivien Bullwinkle became a Matron, supporting the long term polio residents laying in their respirators in Fairfield Hospital's Ward 12. As a WW2 POW, Vivien knew what long term captivity meant and how important hope and motivation were to the inmates - lessons she put to good use in Ward 12, which was quite unique in supporting their residents aspirations to lead productive lives by allowing them to run businesses and many fund raising efforts.

When Vivian died this drawing appeared in the West Australian newspaper. I cut it out and kept it. Today I photographed it to include here.

We just marched into the surf and they fired at us. There were no tears, for we knew it was our lot.

All Australians know of this massacre. I hope that they never forget.

The 4th Anti-Tank Regiment - It Happened to Us MkIII - Murder on Bangka Island


Stories of Courage & Survival

[ADM199]

Originally Posted by The Aviator

It was very hard to find old Vivian's story amoung the political correctness on the net today. But I finally did and I am very proud to put this lady's story on this forum for all to read.

Vivian Bullwinkle Banka Island 1942
During World War 2, H. M. S. Vyner Brooke sailed from Singapore with 64 Australian nursing sisters amongst its 192 evacuees. On entering In the Banka Straits the ship was attacked by Japanese planes - the ship was hit repeatedly. The Bridge was totally destroyed, and the steering stopped operating. On fire, the Captain gave orders for the ship to be abandoned. Twenty minutes later the ship sank. Most of the survivors who had spent all afternoon and night in the water, landed on a beach near Muntok where they set up a camp and commenced tending the wounded. A couple of days later they were discovered by a Japanese patrol. Those that could walk were marched round a small headland, lined up and shot - those lying wounded were bayoneted to death. Just one survived the bayoneting. The nurses were then ordered to walk into the sea, on reaching waist height the Japanese commenced to machine gun them and all were killed save one......Sister Vivien Bullwinkle, who was shot through the throat. Vivien said in a later interview that she lay floating for what seemed hours before raising her head to find the beach deserted - save for her dead comrades floating around her and those that had already died on the beach. She was taken to a prisoner of war camp - barely alive and suffering from sun and sea exposure - her chances of survival were very slim. Sun blisters, meant her mouth was completely closed and doctors fed her through a small opening at the corner of her mouth by means of a small glass dropper. After recovering Vivien was able to relate to others what had actually happened on the beach but was ordered to stay silent for her own safety - the Japanese certainly wouldn't have allowed the only surviving eye witness of this massacre to go on living. Vivien survived the War, and was able to tell her story to the War crimes tribunal.
Vivien Bullwinkle became a Matron, supporting the long term polio residents laying in their respirators in Fairfield Hospital's Ward 12. As a WW2 POW, Vivien knew what long term captivity meant and how important hope and motivation were to the inmates - lessons she put to good use in Ward 12, which was quite unique in supporting their residents aspirations to lead productive lives by allowing them to run businesses and many fund raising efforts.

When Vivian died this drawing appeared in the West Australian newspaper. I cut it out and kept it. Today I photographed it to include here.

We just marched into the surf and they fired at us. There were no tears, for we knew it was our lot.

All Australians know of this massacre. I hope that they never forget.

The 4th Anti-Tank Regiment - It Happened to Us MkIII - Murder on Bangka Island




Stories of Courage & Survival

Vivian Bullwinkles story is being told on the History Channel at this very moment.

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Few today know what the japs did, some will down play it as the 'bushido code", well..I can tell you all first hand I remember them as murdering bloody savages.

[The Aviator]

Nothing has changed Pacific vet. They are murdering a thousand whales in the Antarctic as we speak.

[40th Alabama]

I have been doing some reading on the Flying Tigers-what they did to the Chinease certainly compares with the Nazzis and the Jews. I understand there were war trials but they were not publicised.

[Gotthard Heinrici]

I haveto admit that it sticks in my craw that they have never apologised, merely expressed "regret" over incidents in their past.

[Herakles]

What's not so well known is Vivian's life after the war. She served her community in health for the rest of her life. And she did a great deal to support the locals where she had been incarcerated. And she forgave her tormentors.

A simple unassuming woman. I was privileged to know her.

[Warlord]

And I had trouble somewhere else in the net for calling them Nips...

Well, I guess that even though there´s a bit of a difference between today´s Japan and that which existed up until the signatures aboard the Missouri, fact is that THEY WERE MURDERERS OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND UNARMED POWs!!! That should never be forgotten, even if forgiven.

[Herakles]

Ah! But their excuse was that they never signed the Geneva Convention.

And need I remind members of their atrocities in China?

[Warlord]

Remember Nanking!!!