Photograph supplied by Anne Heywood 2004-02-07

Photograph supplied by Anne Heywood 2004-02-07

Two members of the Australian Army Nursing Service, Sister Jean Keer (Jenny) Greer of Petersham, NSW (left), and Sister Betty Jeffrey of East Malvern, Vic, who were for three and a half years prisoners of war in Japanese hands in Sumatra, talking with an Australian soldier. The sisters were recovering from malnutrition in the Dutch hospital. Johore (Naval Historical Collection)

Group portrait of Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) nurses, who were former prisoners of war (POWs), aboard the hospital ship Manunda on its arrival. Most of the nurses were staff members of the 2/10th and 2/13th Australian General Hospital (2/10AGH and 2/13AGH) and the 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station (2/4CCS) who have returned from Malaya. Known to be in the photograph are: Christien 'Chris' Oxley, Jean 'Jennie' Greer, Beryl 'Woodie' Woodbridge, Florence 'Trot' Trotter, Eileen 'Shortie' Short, Jessie Blanch, Valerie Smith, Violet McElnea, Betty 'Jeff' Jeffrey, Nesta James, Pat Blake, Janet P. 'Pat' Gunther, Jess Doyle, Cecilia E. M. 'Del' Delforce, Iole Harper, Sylvia Muir, Joyce 'Tweedie' Tweddell, V. Haig, Wilma Oram, Jean Ashton, Jessie Simons, Ada C. 'Mickey' Syer and Veronica R. Clancy. The woman in the centre wearing the dress uniform and hat is Colonel Annie M. Sage, Matron-in-Chief of the AANS. The woman in the foreground, standing behind the two seated nurses on the right, is Captain E. Mavis Hannah (later Allgrove) and the tall woman third from the right holding flowers is Vivian Bullwinkel. A number of the nurses are holding bouquets of flowers that have been sent by their families. Many of these nurses became prisoners of war (POWs) when they were captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in February 1942 and survived captivity. Bullwinkel survived the massacre of 21 nurses on Radji Beach, Banka Island on 16 February 1942.