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Diorama - Singapore Evacuation 1942
Overview
Diorama in 1:1 scale depicting two Australian nursing sisters perparing for evacuation during the battle for Singapore in February 1942.
Historical information
In early February 1942, as Japanese soldiers advanced towards Singapore, the Australian nurses in the region were ordered to evacuate. Seventy-two nurses embarked with hundreds of patients and civilians aboard the Empire Star and the Wah Sui. They finally made it back to Australia, having suffered heavy bombardment on the way. Not so fortunate were the 65 nurses, evacuated, along with many civilian women and children, on the SS Vyner Brooke. Twelve lost their lives when the ship was sunk, and 21 of the survivors were executed on Banka Island; the remaining 32 became prisoners of war. The captured nurses hoped their non-combatant status, symbolised by their now tattered uniforms, would protect them. It did not. For the next three and a half years, they were kept as prisoners under appalling conditions. Eight died in captivity.
Details
Details
Registration number
cwa-org-32-55-944
Contextual Information
Personal stories of the Western Australian nurses killed at Banka Island may be found in the Prisoner of War gallery
Geotag
1.2797541083688, 103.83620816882
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Nearest geotagged records:
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Open in Google Maps
Nearest geotagged records:
- World War 2, Singapore, Prisoners of War, MOUNTBATTEN, 1945 (1.66km away)
- Proposed new hostel for the YWCA at Raffles Quay, Singapore. (1.68km away)
- World War 2, Malaya, 1941 (2.56km away)
- World War 2, Singapore, 1941 (2.56km away)
- World War 2, Malaya, 1941 (2.86km away)
- World War 2, Malaya, 1941 (2.86km away)
- World War 2, Malaya, 1941 (3.68km away)
- World War 2, South West Pacific Theatre, Singapore, Red Cross,1945 (19.71km away)
- World War 2, South West Pacific, Borneo, Victoria Town, Labuan, 1943 (19.71km away)
- World War 2, Malaya, 1941 (51.65km away)
View all geotagged records »
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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