Sister Viv

by Grantlee Kieza

The inspiring story of the nursing hero who survived a wartime massacre and dedicated her life to saving others


Bangka Island, 1942: Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel was just twenty-six when Japanese soldiers marched her and her fellow nurses into the shallow waters of a remote beach to be executed.

Miraculously, Vivian would be the lone survivor - and she committed the rest of her long life to an exceptional peacetime career which she lived in tribute to her lost friends. The Lieutenant-Colonel would also be the first woman to be honoured with a statue at the Australian War Memorial for her extraordinary bravery and service - a country girl who become one of the highest ranking women in the Australian army, and who spent her life caring for others.

Growing up in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Vivian started work at a local hospital and joined the Australian Army Nursing Service in World War II. When the Japanese attacked Singapore in 1942, she and sixty-four other nurses were ordered to evacuate, but soon their ship was bombed by enemy aircraft. Some of the women drowned, but Viv made it to Radji Beach on Bangka Island, off Sumatra, with twenty-one of her nursing colleagues.

There Japanese soldiers forced the women to wade back into the sea, and as Vivian felt a bullet slam into her back, she fell face down into the water then waited to die as the soldiers bayonetted survivors. Somehow Vivian lived.

For the next three and a half years Viv was a prisoner of war in a series of brutal Japanese camps where she helped other inmates survive the horror. When peace was restored, she went on to become a giant of Australian nursing - and was a key driver of Operation Babylift, the mass rescue of young orphans during the Vietnam War. For her extraordinary efforts, Vivian was awarded numerous honours, but she never forgot her fallen colleagues, whose lives she paid tribute to with her service to nursing.

From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of Flinders, The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, Banks and Hudson Fysh, Sister Viv tells the astonishing story of the courage, sacrifice, service, and love of an Australian nursing hero who survived against the odds and dedicated her life to the care of others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, War, Australia, History, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Statham,(née Bullwinkel; 18 December 1915–3 July 2000),trained as a nurse and midwife at Broken Hill, and began her nursing career in Hamilton, Victoria, before moving to the Jessie McPherson Hospital in Melbourne.In 1941,Bullwinkel volunteered as a nurse with the RAAF but was rejected due to flat feet. She was, however, able to join the AANS; assigned to the 2/13th Australian General Hospital, in September 1941 she sailed for Singapore.After a few weeks with the 2/10th AGH, Bullwinkel rejoined the 13th AGH in Johor Bahru.Japanese troops invaded Malaya in December 1941 and began to advance southwards.By late January 1942 they were advancing through Johore and the 13th AGH was to evacuate to Singapore. The Battle of Singapore ended in defeat, and, on 12 February, Bullwinkel and 65 other nurses boarded the SS Vyner Brooke to escape.Two days later, the ship was sunk by Japanese aircraft. Bullwinkel, 21 other nurses and a large group of civilians made it ashore at Radji Beach on Banka Island. Others on board either went down with the ship or were swept away and never seen again.They were joined the next day by about 100 British soldiers.The group elected to surrender to the Japanese.Some Japanese soldiers came and killed the men, then motioned the nurses to wade into the sea. They then machine-gunned the nurses from behind. Bullwinkel was struck by a bullet and feigned death until the Japanese left. She hid with a wounded British private for 12 days before deciding once again to surrender. They were taken into captivity, but the private died soon after. Bullwinkel was reunited with survivors of the Vyner Brooke. She told them of the massacre, but none spoke of it again until postwar lest it put Bullwinkel,in danger.Bullwinkel spent 3.5 years in captivity; she was one of just 24 of the 65 nurses who had been on the Vyner Brooke to survive the war.Bullwinkel retired from the army in 1947 and became Director of Nursing at at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital.She helped organise Operation Babylift during the Vietnam War.Bullwinkel married Colonel Francis West Statham in 1977.She ensured her fallen friends were honoured.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a story I had heard about but not ever delved into. Be prepared for some horrific and shocking revelations. I really recommend this book. It reminds us of the other hero’s of war, not just soldiers but so many personnel who gave their lives and suffered for the sake of country and freedom. The ladies in this story are so inspiring, women who were dedicated to their service and to humanity. Their suffering and degradation at the hands of the Japanese is plain cruel. Highly recommended, great read.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant new story of Sister Viv by Grantlee Kieza about a nurse who became a hero and survived a wartime massacre and dedicated her life to saving others.

It was so interesting hearing about the life of Sister Vivian Bullwinkel and how she became a hero to Australian nursing and the mass rescue of young orphans during the Vietnam war ~ Operation Babylift.

Everything Vivian had to see and endure was terrible on Bangka Island, the torture, the lives lost but somehow she managed to stay strong and live long enough to tell the tale and what really happened.

This is a story of survival, adventure and heroism.

Read it and see in this new story of Sister Viv by Grantlee Kieza.

[Wendy Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew quite a lot about Vivian Bullwinkle prior to listening to this book, but this added much more detail. What amazing people these nurses were!! Viv did stand out and took this drive to continue on after this atrocity to develop the role of nurses into the future.

I certainly encourage everyone interested in the role of women in WWII and nursing history & ongoing development of nursing, up to the modern day.

This is a 5 star 🌟 read for me.

[Carol Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing ,I knew Viv ,she was our Matron at Fairfield hospital , I had read White Coolies many years ago .
But to read Vivs own story my goodness ,what a hard time she did have ,how brave she was.
This Dear Lady had an amazing life our World was better for having a wonderful Woman like her walk upon it .
A real page turner ,anyone who reads this book will realise how lucky this country really is .
I just had to keep reading and turning pages .

[Carla Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Viv is an Australian heroine who served in WW II as a nurse. She was tortured and captured by the brutal Japanese forces in Southeast Asia. This book details her nursing service and the many horrors she suffered. She survived when many of her mates did not, and she went home and continued to make a valuable contribution to nursing in Australia.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Viv

I found this story to be heart tending but also riveting, a story of devotion, determination and love.
I recommend this book to every Australian …. R.I.P. Vivian Bullwinkle.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing true story of heroism, humour, horror, and humanitarianism . It’s a story that everyone needs to read. Hats off to Grantlee for such thorough research with so many stories being woven into such a memorable tale of survival despite terrible odds. I’m so glad to know that Sister Viv has been immortalised in a statue at the Australian War Memorial. She was a humble nurse , with a delightful sense of humour and a passion for caring for others. Long may her story reign!

[cameron ross paton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story that I had heard about when I was a child. My mother used to talk about Vivian Bullwinkle and how she survived a terrible Japanese massacre.
Grantlea’s book is well written account of Vivian’s life and survival against the odds. The terrible privations at the hands of the Japanese prison guards. Then her ultimate rescue and life after the war in Australia.
Gave it five stars.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing woman! Meticulously researched, this book tells of the life of Vivian Bullwinkel, who survived Japanese aggression in World War 2. Without grandstanding, it shows a woman of courage and commitment. I particularly enjoyed her later life section as well. Thank you for such a wonderful book, tissues recommended!

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an outstanding book! The word inspiring doesn’t do justice to Vivian Bullwinkle’s life. The reading ( while she is a prisoner of war) is brutal but her story must never be forgotten. Highly recommended.

[Ann Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of a brave nurse who survived harrowing times as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. How does one survive such horror?

[standingontheshouldersofgiants · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humbling, sobering, and inspiring. A book all Australians should read, especially young ones like myself.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such difficult and horrendous times, such strong Australian women.

[Kate Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally good book focussing on a woman who miraculously stayed alive in the midst of an horrendous war crime and went on to help prisoners of war survive unimaginable atrocities.

[Kathy Schuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both harrowing and inspiring, a truly dedicated nurse who survived when many others did not.

[Mary Torney-Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. The history of what happened to our nurses on Banka Island. WW2
I can't recommend this book enough. It brought tears to my eyes reading what the nurses endured.

[Glenn Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Viv is the incredible story of WWII Australian nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel. Until recently I had never even heard of Vivian. As a born and bred Australian myself it is a tragedy that she is not a household name in this country. When someone told me briefly about Vivian and what she survived, I just had to find a book which told me her full story. After evacuating Singapore with other Australian nurses, their ship was torpedoed by the Japanese. The survivors made it to shore and surrendered to the Japanese only to be cruelly massacred. They were basically lined up on the beach and machine gunned down. A bullet struck Vivian in the back and passed right through her exiting out her belly. It miraculously missed her vital organs and she survived by floating in the water and pretending to be dead. All of the other nurses were killed (murdered). She survived 12 days in the jungle before again surrendering to the Japanese. This time she became a POW and survived the next three years in appalling conditions. She was brave and determined but also very caring and always doing what she could for those doing it tougher. She eventually survived to the end of the war and made it home to Australia and lived to old age (she died in 2000). Her story is one that needs to be told and all Australians need to know who she was and what she did. I am giving this book 5 stars for the unbelievable story of Vivian Bullwinkel, although I feel the author could have done a better job with it.

[Lisa Walford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Viv Bullwinkel was and remains an inspiration. We rarely hear of the heroism and devotion of nurses during war time. I feel sad that it has taken so long for me to know her story. We should be learning of Viv and the other nurses along side Simpson and his donkey!
The story needs to be turned into a 🎥

[Leann Hatfield]

Couldn't put this down finished it in a day

[Belinda Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended to me. True story. A little known story of Australian nurses during the war. History I didn't know.

[Lee McKerracher · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are simply no words to describe the horror these women endured at the hands of the Japanese. Vivian Bullwinkel and her fellow nurses should be household names in Australia, but they sadly are not.

Their bravery, resilience and strength through years of torture, following the loss of so many of their friends; lost in the sinking of the Vyner Brooke, slaughtered at Radjii Beach on Bangka Island, or tortured in the prisoner of war camps is bewildering. It is not possible to fathom what they experienced and how, after suffering so much, they could still use humour to get through the day.

Yes, they did argue and fight occasionally while in captivity, who wouldn't, but their compassion and determination to survive ensured some of them survived to make it home to tell this story.

A book all should read.

[Lyn Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I had previously read On Radjii Beach and also visited the memorial in Adelaide dedicated to these heroic Australian nurses. Sister Viv was brilliantly researched and written telling the story of bravery, heroics, compassion and the sacrifices made by her to endure the atrocities faced from the Japanese. She loved and protected her fellow nurses during this time and also after the war took her role as an inspiring matron to many. I am so proud to know they have acknowledged the amazing Australian women with a statue at The Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Thank you Grantlee Kiera for this wonderful read

[Tricia Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books about the nurses who survived this Japanese massacre but it's the first I've read specifically about Vivian Bullwinkel. Such a sad and heartbreaking story but also uplifting and Vivian and the nurses she represented throughout her life were inspirational, kind and caring individuals who always put others first. A shameful event among the many of WWII. A truly good read and a story which should never be forgotten

[Sophie Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story of a woman's experience of war, she was one strong woman

[Mia Patalano · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly inspiring story of courage, selflessness, determination and love. An inspiration to nurses. More Australians should learn about the sacrifices these nurse made

[Michele Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this biography gripping. However, I’m glad I read War Nurses first, as it unfortunately gives far more general background to the story. However, it’s still excellent as a stand alone read imo. I felt that this book was so informative, respectful but insightful. I highly recommend it. We recently visited Canberra & the war memorial and saw her statue and uniform etc. an incredible woman more than deserving of her tributes. I just wish no one would ever have to endure such atrocities again.

[Keith Mundy]

An excellent book. A very sad story but one of courage and determination in the face of adversity.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story. I had to remind myself that these were real events because it was so heart wrenching and raw. A 5 star read from me.

[Denise Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://denisenewtonwrites.com/?p=5612

Sister Viv is a gripping account of a woman who endured great suffering but went on to live a full and productive life in spite of her awful wartime experiences. Grantlee Kieza has written a biography worthy of this truly remarkable Australian.Sister VivGrantlee Kieza