Embarkation of the ship Malaya 3. Left to right: VFX38746 Staff Nurse Mary Elizabeth Cuthbertson; ...

Embarkation of the ship Malaya 3. Left to right: VFX38746 Staff Nurse Mary Elizabeth Cuthbertson; VFX47776 Sister Clarice Isobel Halligan; Sister H Syer (possibly WX11105 Ada Corbitt Syer); and Staff Nurse R Wilson (possibly QFX48924 Ruby Wilson). Sisters Cuthbertson and Halligan were two of sixty five Australian nurses and over 250 civilian men, women and children evacuated on the Vyner Brooke from Singapore three days before the fall of Malaya. The Vyner Brooke was bombed by Japanese aircraft and sunk in Banka Strait on 14 February 1942. Of the sixty five nurses, thirty two survived the sinking and were taken Prisoner of War (POW) of which eight later died in captivity, another twenty two also survived the sinking and were washed ashore on Radji Beach, Banka Island where they surrendered to the Japanese along with twenty five British soldiers. On 16 February 1942 the group was massacred, the soldiers were bayoneted and the nurses were ordered to march into the sea where they were shot. Only Sister Vivian Bullwinkel and a British soldier survived the massacre. Both were taken POW, but only Sister Bullwinkel survived the war. Sisters Cuthbertson and Halligan were both in the group which was massacred on Radji Beach. Sister Ada Syer survived the sinking of the Vyner Brooke, was taken prisoner and survived the war.