A Bonny Hills resident has come into possession of some extremely rare wartime documents.
Retired school teacher John Roberts has inherited letters and priceless materials from his late mother, Merle Roberts, who received regular correspondence from the only surviving nurse from the Banka Island massacre of World War II – the late Vivian Statham (nee Bullwinkel), AO, MBE, ARRC, ED.
Vivian was among 22 nurses that were gunned down in cold blood by Japanese soldiers on the Island’s beach on February 12, 1942.
Vivian survived, pretending to be dead, until she moved to safer ground and surrendered (read her story in detail below).
The two ladies, John said, were close friends for many years, dating back to their days as classmates at Broken Hill High School in New South Wales, where they both resided with family.
John said it was timely to share the discovery with residents, with ANZAC Day on Monday, April 25, just around the corner.
Thousands will stop to remember those lost to war and the freedoms they fought for, during ceremonies on the day.
The precious surviving letters, addressed to Merle from Vivian, are dated from November, 1941 and December, 1945, which he shared exclusively with the Independent newspaper.
In the delicate five-plus pages of each handwritten piece, Vivian talks about life after war, “officialdom”, her travels, their friendship and loves, to name just a few topics.
John said he had the privilege to meet Vivian on several occasions whilst with his mother. He said Vivian never talked of the horror of Banka Island.
“I am not sure whether Mum and Vivian ever spoke of the massacre or her internment,” he said.
“That was never Vivian’s style.
“She kept the details for the War Crimes Tribunal in Tokyo.
“Vivian was an extremely strong, quiet and determined person who, even though haunted by the past, I’m sure would have turned her attributes to moving on.”
Vivian was born in Kapunda, South Australia and trained as a nurse in Broken Hill. In 1941, aged 25, she enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service.
She was posted to the 13th Australian General Hospital and sailed for Malaya. Faced with the Japanese invasion of the Malay Peninsula, the hospital shifted to Singapore Island in January 1942. With the fall of Singapore imminent, it was decided to evacuate the nurses.
Late on February 12, Vivian was with the last group of nurses, along with patients and women and children, to sail from the doomed island on the SS Vyner Brooke.
The next night Japanese bombers found the ship in the Banka Strait. It was attacked and sunk.
Vivian drifted for hours clinging to a lifeboat before she struggled ashore on Banka Island with other survivors.
When Japanese troops arrived, they gathered 22 nurses together and ordered them into the sea, where they machine-gunned them.
Vivian, badly wounded and feigning death, was the only survivor.
A Bonny Hills resident has come into possession of some extremely rare wartime documents.
Retired school teacher John Roberts has inherited letters and priceless materials from his late mother, Merle Roberts, who received regular correspondence from the only surviving nurse from the Banka Island massacre of World War II – the late Vivian Statham (nee Bullwinkel), AO, MBE, ARRC, ED.
Vivian was among 22 nurses that were gunned down in cold blood by Japanese soldiers on the Island’s beach on February 12, 1942.
Vivian survived, pretending to be dead, until she moved to safer ground and surrendered (read her story in detail below).
The two ladies, John said, were close friends for many years, dating back to their days as classmates at Broken Hill High School in New South Wales, where they both resided with family.
John said it was timely to share the discovery with residents, with ANZAC Day on Monday, April 25, just around the corner.
Thousands will stop to remember those lost to war and the freedoms they fought for, during ceremonies on the day.
The precious surviving letters, addressed to Merle from Vivian, are dated from November, 1941 and December, 1945, which he shared exclusively with the Independent newspaper.
In the delicate five-plus pages of each handwritten piece, Vivian talks about life after war, “officialdom”, her travels, their friendship and loves, to name just a few topics.
John said he had the privilege to meet Vivian on several occasions whilst with his mother. He said Vivian never talked of the horror of Banka Island.
“I am not sure whether Mum and Vivian ever spoke of the massacre or her internment,” he said.
“That was never Vivian’s style.
“She kept the details for the War Crimes Tribunal in Tokyo.
“Vivian was an extremely strong, quiet and determined person who, even though haunted by the past, I’m sure would have turned her attributes to moving on.”
Vivian was born in Kapunda, South Australia and trained as a nurse in Broken Hill. In 1941, aged 25, she enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service.
She was posted to the 13th Australian General Hospital and sailed for Malaya. Faced with the Japanese invasion of the Malay Peninsula, the hospital shifted to Singapore Island in January 1942. With the fall of Singapore imminent, it was decided to evacuate the nurses.
Late on February 12, Vivian was with the last group of nurses, along with patients and women and children, to sail from the doomed island on the SS Vyner Brooke.
The next night Japanese bombers found the ship in the Banka Strait. It was attacked and sunk.
Vivian drifted for hours clinging to a lifeboat before she struggled ashore on Banka Island with other survivors.
When Japanese troops arrived, they gathered 22 nurses together and ordered them into the sea, where they machine-gunned them.
Vivian, badly wounded and feigning death, was the only survivor.
