Medical Sisters of the 2/13th Australian General Hospital, Malaya, 1941
Australian War MemorialInformal portrait of the Medical Sisters of the 2/13th Australian General Hospital (AGH), at a concert party at St Patrick's School, Malaya 1941.
Identified, left to right, front row: W16345 Lieutenant (Lt) Eloise Marcia Bales; WX11169 Sister (Sr) Louvinia Mary Isabella Bates (drowned following the sinking of the Vyner Brooke - 14 February 1942); SFX13548 Lt Carrie Jean (Jean) Ashton (taken prisoner of war (POW) following the sinking of the Vyner Brooke; NX76277 Lt Duxie May (Margaret) McLean Setchell; NX76282 Lt Veronica Ann Clancy; QFX22715 Captain (Capt) Julia Elizabeth Blanche Powell; and QX22814 Lt Margaret Constance Selwood.
SX13418 Lt Florence Rebecca Casson (one of 22 nurses who survived the sinking of the Vyner Brooke and were washed ashore on Radji Beach, Banka Island, where they surrendered to the Japanese, along with 25 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.).
Second row: TX6024 Sister (Lieutenant) May Eileen Rayner, Sr E M Hillyard (or Hillard - no further information); TX6025 Lt Mollie Marie Gunton; VX61329 Sr Rosetta Joan Wight (killed by the Japanese at Radji Beach, Banka Island, 16 February 1942); Sr Brewer (no further information); NFX180290 Lt Mavis Claudia Cullen (taken POW in Rabaul).
