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The War Nurses
In 1942, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses – the girls on the beach – are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
Inspired by the author’s own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses – the girls on the beach – are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
Inspired by the author’s own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
394 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2023
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April 5, 2023
It was 1942 when Minnie Hodgson, Margot McNee and many more young women joined the Queen Mary, leaving Australia to sail into the unknown, all for the war effort. They were Australian nurses and their eventual destination was Singapore. Immediate friendships were formed and Minnie, Margot, Beth and Lola were the core group of strength, courage and determination who were looked up to by the others. But when danger was too close to ignore, evacuation was necessary and urgent. Minnie, Margot and her group were put on the Vyner Brooke with a captain who had sailed the same waters many times and was sure he could get them all to safety. But, close to the islands they'd headed for, the Vyner Brooke was bombed and while a good number made it to the lifeboats, many didn't.
Minnie and Margot were separated as the lifeboats and rafts they'd fashioned were washed to shore. Margot, Beth and Lola surrendered to the Japanese, destined to spend the last years of the war in camps, where starvation, malaria, beriberi, dysentery and more were rife. The cruelty of the Japs was second to none, and when friends died, the women dug the graves. But what would happen to Minnie and the other brave nurses who'd drifted away from their friends? Would they meet again after the war?
The War Nurses is an absolutely phenomenal read! Aussie author Anthea Hodgson has based her story on fact, one character an ancestor of her family. The four MCs are fictional but many of the events portrayed are factual, and the Author Note at the end is interesting, heart breaking and poignant. I have to say this is the best historical fiction novel set in this time period with the Japs, that I have read - and I have no hesitation in recommending it highly. I certainly won't forget it in a hurry!
With thanks to Penguin Random House AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Minnie and Margot were separated as the lifeboats and rafts they'd fashioned were washed to shore. Margot, Beth and Lola surrendered to the Japanese, destined to spend the last years of the war in camps, where starvation, malaria, beriberi, dysentery and more were rife. The cruelty of the Japs was second to none, and when friends died, the women dug the graves. But what would happen to Minnie and the other brave nurses who'd drifted away from their friends? Would they meet again after the war?
The War Nurses is an absolutely phenomenal read! Aussie author Anthea Hodgson has based her story on fact, one character an ancestor of her family. The four MCs are fictional but many of the events portrayed are factual, and the Author Note at the end is interesting, heart breaking and poignant. I have to say this is the best historical fiction novel set in this time period with the Japs, that I have read - and I have no hesitation in recommending it highly. I certainly won't forget it in a hurry!
With thanks to Penguin Random House AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2024
The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson
Synopsis /
In 1942, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses – the girls on the beach – are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
Inspired by the author’s own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
My Thoughts /
Keep watching the door - I'll be home soon. Your loving daughter, Minnie
I originally chose this book to read because it fit the parameter of an annual challenge I'm participating in for 2024 - in the month of April read a book depicting Australians or New Zealanders during war. Satisfied in the knowledge that it would tick off my April read commitments for this challenge I started to read. What I was yet to fully realise was just how much this book would hit me emotionally. Does that sound cheesy? If it does, I make no apologies, because it's true.
Fiction, no matter how far-fetched it may seem, is someone else's reality, and by that, I mean, that fictional people or places or events can remind the reader of some real-life experience or can trigger a memory. This book did that for me. The author tells us that the foundations for this story are true - (Hodgson's own great aunt [Minnie] died on Radji Beach) but although the four main characters, Minnie, Margot, Beth, and Lola are fictional, their details have been borrowed from the lives of real women. History is the story, but fiction adds shape, colour and meaning.
On the evening of 12 February 1942, the SS Vyner Brooke was one the last ships carrying evacuees to leave Singapore. Although she usually only carried 12 passengers, in addition to her 47 crew, Vyner Brooke sailed south with 181 passengers embarked, most of them women and children. Among the passengers were the last 65 Australian nurses in Singapore. Throughout the daylight hours of 13 February, Vyner Brooke laid up in the lee of a small jungle-covered island, but she was attacked late in the afternoon by a Japanese aircraft, fortunately with no serious casualties. At sunset she made a run for the Banka Strait, heading for Palembang in Sumatra. Prowling Japanese warships, however, impeded her progress and daylight on February 14th found her dangerously exposed on a flat sea just inside the strait. Not long after 2 pm, Vyner Brooke was attacked by several Japanese aircraft. Despite evasive action, she was crippled by several bombs and within half an hour rolled over and sunk bow first. Approximately 150 survivors eventually made it ashore at Banka Island, after periods of between eight and 65 hours in the water. What the survivors didn't know was that the island was already occupied by the Japanese and most of the survivors were taken captive.
Among those surviving the sinking of Vyner Brooke were four Australian nurses, Minnie Hodgson, Beth Scanlon, Margot McNee, and Lola Llewellyn. This is their story.
Taking a small step back, the story opens in 1941, where we are introduced to a group of girls who are about to embark on an unforgettable journey. Boarding the Queen Mary which is set to sail from Perth to Singapore. The girls, all hoping to do their part for the war effort, are keen to experience life as nurses in the Australian Army, nursing allied soldiers injured during the battles of war. During the early stages of their posting, the nurses spent their time administering care to patients with only minor ailments. They were afforded plenty of leisure time, which they spent swimming, dancing, and spending time at the iconic Raffles Hotel. Their letters home to families were filled with promises that they were safe and well. How quickly things can change.
Singapore, city of silk shirts, colonial grandeur and Singapore Slings was the scene of the largest surrender of British-led forces ever recorded in history. On the same day that Japan was attacking Pearl Harbour (half a world away), the Japanese simultaneously bombed the Royal Air Force bases to the north of Singapore on the Malay coast. Their tactics were incredibly well thought out. Even before a Japanese soldier set foot on Singapore, Britain's naval and aerial capabilities has both been destroyed. The Japanese had well prepared for the invasion of Singapore.
Thinking how lucky they were to survive the scuttling of the Vyner Brook, its passengers would soon realise their nightmare was only just beginning. Upon realising that the island had already been occupied by the Japanese, the survivors surrendered, thinking that their lives would be spared, and they would be taken in as POWs. The Japanese had other ideas.
The Geneva Convention is a series of documents that set standards for the treatment of people during wartime. Regulations about the rights of POWs and civilian internees were added to the Geneva Convention in 1929. Such rights included treatment during capture and captivity; the conditions (hygiene) of camps; food and clothing; access to basic medical treatment; and other intellectual and moral needs. Organisations such as the Prisoners of War Information Bureau and the International Committee of the Red Cross was supposed to ensure that POWs were not abused by their captors. However, this was not always the case.
The fate of our four nurses Minnie, Beth, Margot, and Lola, along with their fellow survivors makes harrowing reading. Some of the incidents described in this story are at times seemingly unbelievable and/or might appear to be grossly exaggerated. That anyone could survive acts of brutality like those described is unimaginable. Yet these stories are based on truth. The savagery shown to these POWs was truly shocking. Civilians murdered, soldiers decapitated, prisoners burnt alive, women raped then slaughtered, beaten, starved. Due to the hard labour of working parties, overcrowding, the lack of fresh water, poor diet and sanitary conditions, the tropical climate, and harsh treatment and physical abuse by their Japanese captors, most, if not all, of the POWs fell ill or were injured at some point during their incarceration.
The illnesses and medical conditions prisoners experienced included tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and tropical ulcers; diseases caused by overcrowding and lack of hygiene, such as dysentery and cholera; and diseases caused by a limited diet and vitamin deficiencies, such as malnutrition, pellagra, and beriberi.
But sprinkled throughout all this horror are bright moments. Funny and sweet moments, blooming within a tragic setting. The scale of courage and resilience of these survivors is off the charts and brought me to tears more than once. Throughout this story our four nurses survived together - their grit, determination, love, and loyalty helped each of them to keep going. Sadly, not all four nurses made it home.
Belalau, Sumatra - 19 August 1945
The next day Captain Seki summonsed the camp to the parade ground. He had some guards bring a bench to the front of the assembled prisoners, and one of them held out his hand to help the captain climb up on it. He held his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"The war is over", he said. "It ended 15 August."
A stunned silence greeted his announcement. The war had ended four days earlier. Before Beth had died.
Captain Seki Kazue, the prison camp commandant was sentenced to 15 years in prison after the war for his mistreatment of the internees.
The Author's Notes and Acknowledgements are as poignant as the story she told.
The War Nurses is by far and above the best book I've read this year.
Synopsis /
In 1942, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses – the girls on the beach – are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
Inspired by the author’s own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
My Thoughts /
Keep watching the door - I'll be home soon. Your loving daughter, Minnie
I originally chose this book to read because it fit the parameter of an annual challenge I'm participating in for 2024 - in the month of April read a book depicting Australians or New Zealanders during war. Satisfied in the knowledge that it would tick off my April read commitments for this challenge I started to read. What I was yet to fully realise was just how much this book would hit me emotionally. Does that sound cheesy? If it does, I make no apologies, because it's true.
Fiction, no matter how far-fetched it may seem, is someone else's reality, and by that, I mean, that fictional people or places or events can remind the reader of some real-life experience or can trigger a memory. This book did that for me. The author tells us that the foundations for this story are true - (Hodgson's own great aunt [Minnie] died on Radji Beach) but although the four main characters, Minnie, Margot, Beth, and Lola are fictional, their details have been borrowed from the lives of real women. History is the story, but fiction adds shape, colour and meaning.
On the evening of 12 February 1942, the SS Vyner Brooke was one the last ships carrying evacuees to leave Singapore. Although she usually only carried 12 passengers, in addition to her 47 crew, Vyner Brooke sailed south with 181 passengers embarked, most of them women and children. Among the passengers were the last 65 Australian nurses in Singapore. Throughout the daylight hours of 13 February, Vyner Brooke laid up in the lee of a small jungle-covered island, but she was attacked late in the afternoon by a Japanese aircraft, fortunately with no serious casualties. At sunset she made a run for the Banka Strait, heading for Palembang in Sumatra. Prowling Japanese warships, however, impeded her progress and daylight on February 14th found her dangerously exposed on a flat sea just inside the strait. Not long after 2 pm, Vyner Brooke was attacked by several Japanese aircraft. Despite evasive action, she was crippled by several bombs and within half an hour rolled over and sunk bow first. Approximately 150 survivors eventually made it ashore at Banka Island, after periods of between eight and 65 hours in the water. What the survivors didn't know was that the island was already occupied by the Japanese and most of the survivors were taken captive.
Among those surviving the sinking of Vyner Brooke were four Australian nurses, Minnie Hodgson, Beth Scanlon, Margot McNee, and Lola Llewellyn. This is their story.
Taking a small step back, the story opens in 1941, where we are introduced to a group of girls who are about to embark on an unforgettable journey. Boarding the Queen Mary which is set to sail from Perth to Singapore. The girls, all hoping to do their part for the war effort, are keen to experience life as nurses in the Australian Army, nursing allied soldiers injured during the battles of war. During the early stages of their posting, the nurses spent their time administering care to patients with only minor ailments. They were afforded plenty of leisure time, which they spent swimming, dancing, and spending time at the iconic Raffles Hotel. Their letters home to families were filled with promises that they were safe and well. How quickly things can change.
Singapore, city of silk shirts, colonial grandeur and Singapore Slings was the scene of the largest surrender of British-led forces ever recorded in history. On the same day that Japan was attacking Pearl Harbour (half a world away), the Japanese simultaneously bombed the Royal Air Force bases to the north of Singapore on the Malay coast. Their tactics were incredibly well thought out. Even before a Japanese soldier set foot on Singapore, Britain's naval and aerial capabilities has both been destroyed. The Japanese had well prepared for the invasion of Singapore.
Thinking how lucky they were to survive the scuttling of the Vyner Brook, its passengers would soon realise their nightmare was only just beginning. Upon realising that the island had already been occupied by the Japanese, the survivors surrendered, thinking that their lives would be spared, and they would be taken in as POWs. The Japanese had other ideas.
The Geneva Convention is a series of documents that set standards for the treatment of people during wartime. Regulations about the rights of POWs and civilian internees were added to the Geneva Convention in 1929. Such rights included treatment during capture and captivity; the conditions (hygiene) of camps; food and clothing; access to basic medical treatment; and other intellectual and moral needs. Organisations such as the Prisoners of War Information Bureau and the International Committee of the Red Cross was supposed to ensure that POWs were not abused by their captors. However, this was not always the case.
The fate of our four nurses Minnie, Beth, Margot, and Lola, along with their fellow survivors makes harrowing reading. Some of the incidents described in this story are at times seemingly unbelievable and/or might appear to be grossly exaggerated. That anyone could survive acts of brutality like those described is unimaginable. Yet these stories are based on truth. The savagery shown to these POWs was truly shocking. Civilians murdered, soldiers decapitated, prisoners burnt alive, women raped then slaughtered, beaten, starved. Due to the hard labour of working parties, overcrowding, the lack of fresh water, poor diet and sanitary conditions, the tropical climate, and harsh treatment and physical abuse by their Japanese captors, most, if not all, of the POWs fell ill or were injured at some point during their incarceration.
The illnesses and medical conditions prisoners experienced included tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and tropical ulcers; diseases caused by overcrowding and lack of hygiene, such as dysentery and cholera; and diseases caused by a limited diet and vitamin deficiencies, such as malnutrition, pellagra, and beriberi.
But sprinkled throughout all this horror are bright moments. Funny and sweet moments, blooming within a tragic setting. The scale of courage and resilience of these survivors is off the charts and brought me to tears more than once. Throughout this story our four nurses survived together - their grit, determination, love, and loyalty helped each of them to keep going. Sadly, not all four nurses made it home.
Belalau, Sumatra - 19 August 1945
The next day Captain Seki summonsed the camp to the parade ground. He had some guards bring a bench to the front of the assembled prisoners, and one of them held out his hand to help the captain climb up on it. He held his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"The war is over", he said. "It ended 15 August."
A stunned silence greeted his announcement. The war had ended four days earlier. Before Beth had died.
Captain Seki Kazue, the prison camp commandant was sentenced to 15 years in prison after the war for his mistreatment of the internees.
The Author's Notes and Acknowledgements are as poignant as the story she told.
The War Nurses is by far and above the best book I've read this year.
May 17, 2023
In 1941. Nurses Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee leave Perth aboard the Queen Mary and the luxury liner has been converted into a troop carrier. Matron Drummond and Matron Paschke are in charge and everyone is excited when they arrive safely in Singapore.
Minnie and Margot become friends with fellow Australian nurses Beth Scanlon, Lola Llewellyn and Hatty McArthur. At the hospital they treat soldiers for minor ailments, in their leisure time they go swimming and visit Raffles Hotel. Beth enjoys a drink and gambles and Lola likes to sing and has a beautiful voice. The nurses send letters home to their families, letting them know their perfectly safe and not to worry.
This quickly changes, Singapore become a Japanese target and it’s the gateway to controlling the entire Pacific. At the last minute, sixty five Australian nurses and civilians flee Singapore and aboard the SS Vyner Brooke. The Japanese have the upper hand, it’s just a matter of time before the boat is sighted and attacked. In the resulting chaos, the friends are separated and try to make it to land.
Margot, Beth, Lola and Hazel are taken to a prisoner of war camp and it’s the first of many, and the other group of survivors, including Minnie are washed ashore on Banka Island and stranded on the beach. Everyone is scared of the Japanese, they have heard rumors of what they have done to captured allied soldiers, nurses and civilians and they pray it's not true.
Anthea Hodgson wants the members of the 8th division of the Australian Army Nursing Service to never be forgotten, her own family has ties to one of the brave nurses and inspired her to write, The War Nurses. It’s a story about war, survival, courage, determination, loyalty, friendship, duty, comradery, enduring years of imprisonment, malnutrition, and suffering from tropical diseases. One group of nurses made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, they were massacred by the Japanese, not an easy book to read, I cried a lot and five stars from me.
Minnie and Margot become friends with fellow Australian nurses Beth Scanlon, Lola Llewellyn and Hatty McArthur. At the hospital they treat soldiers for minor ailments, in their leisure time they go swimming and visit Raffles Hotel. Beth enjoys a drink and gambles and Lola likes to sing and has a beautiful voice. The nurses send letters home to their families, letting them know their perfectly safe and not to worry.
This quickly changes, Singapore become a Japanese target and it’s the gateway to controlling the entire Pacific. At the last minute, sixty five Australian nurses and civilians flee Singapore and aboard the SS Vyner Brooke. The Japanese have the upper hand, it’s just a matter of time before the boat is sighted and attacked. In the resulting chaos, the friends are separated and try to make it to land.
Margot, Beth, Lola and Hazel are taken to a prisoner of war camp and it’s the first of many, and the other group of survivors, including Minnie are washed ashore on Banka Island and stranded on the beach. Everyone is scared of the Japanese, they have heard rumors of what they have done to captured allied soldiers, nurses and civilians and they pray it's not true.
Anthea Hodgson wants the members of the 8th division of the Australian Army Nursing Service to never be forgotten, her own family has ties to one of the brave nurses and inspired her to write, The War Nurses. It’s a story about war, survival, courage, determination, loyalty, friendship, duty, comradery, enduring years of imprisonment, malnutrition, and suffering from tropical diseases. One group of nurses made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, they were massacred by the Japanese, not an easy book to read, I cried a lot and five stars from me.
April 1, 2023
This was one of the most emotional books I have read for a while, it is heartbreaking, moving and so much more, but told so beautifully with compassion and such love as Anthea Hodgson takes us back in time to an unforgettable story about our Australian nurses during WW2 a story that is inspired by her own great aunt, Minnie Hodgson, I do advise that you have a box of tissues handy.
It is 1942 and country nurses from Western Australia Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee board a ship bound for Singapore, they are looking at adventure and are proud to be doing their part in the war, they meet many other nurses and make life time friends, but soon Singapore is under siege and they need to evacuate.
They board the Vyner Brooke and continue to work hard looking after the injured soldiers and the many other people who are on board, woman and children from many different countries but they are bombed by the Japanese, there is such devastation, survivors floating on rafts and in life boats doing their best to get to one of the islands, separated one group of nurses find themselves on Bangka Island, what happens here, the fate of these nurses is atrocious, so shocking that is must never be forgotten.
The other group of nurses find themselves in a prisioner-war-camps till the end of the war, here these strong determined and courageous woman do everything they can to survive in the worst possible conditions with cruel captors, no food no medical help, just their fortitude and grit and the friendship and love they share with each other. The resilience and grit from these woman had me cheering them on through my tears.
Getting to know Margot, Beth, Lola, Minnie and the other nurses will stay with me for a long time to come, this story is compelling and poignant, with fabulous characters and it is an unforgettable story based on true facts and pays tribute to these nurses who should never be forgotten. It shows true friendship and how it can sustain people in such hard time.
I loved this book from start to finish, I cried so much and I cheered them on and I smiled at the humour and wit that they could still show through it all, many thanks Anthea Hodgson for such a beautiful story that is told so well.
My thanks to Penguin AU for my copy to read and review.
It is 1942 and country nurses from Western Australia Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee board a ship bound for Singapore, they are looking at adventure and are proud to be doing their part in the war, they meet many other nurses and make life time friends, but soon Singapore is under siege and they need to evacuate.
They board the Vyner Brooke and continue to work hard looking after the injured soldiers and the many other people who are on board, woman and children from many different countries but they are bombed by the Japanese, there is such devastation, survivors floating on rafts and in life boats doing their best to get to one of the islands, separated one group of nurses find themselves on Bangka Island, what happens here, the fate of these nurses is atrocious, so shocking that is must never be forgotten.
The other group of nurses find themselves in a prisioner-war-camps till the end of the war, here these strong determined and courageous woman do everything they can to survive in the worst possible conditions with cruel captors, no food no medical help, just their fortitude and grit and the friendship and love they share with each other. The resilience and grit from these woman had me cheering them on through my tears.
Getting to know Margot, Beth, Lola, Minnie and the other nurses will stay with me for a long time to come, this story is compelling and poignant, with fabulous characters and it is an unforgettable story based on true facts and pays tribute to these nurses who should never be forgotten. It shows true friendship and how it can sustain people in such hard time.
I loved this book from start to finish, I cried so much and I cheered them on and I smiled at the humour and wit that they could still show through it all, many thanks Anthea Hodgson for such a beautiful story that is told so well.
My thanks to Penguin AU for my copy to read and review.
May 25, 2024
I started this one really looking forward to it as it sounded very interesting and has very high reviews. I ended up finding it not as good as I'd hoped but I think the reason for that was I didn't real gel with the style of writing - it felt a bit choppy to me as it swapped between character perspectives and happenings. Putting that aside, I think it's a really great thing to have this bit of history exposed and more people knowing about it despite that this knowledge may be confronting for some readers. I would highly recommend that readers ensure to read the author's note at the end of the book after finishing the story to gain clarification and understand more around the history.
Overall: a well researched Australian historical war fiction inspired by true events.
Overall: a well researched Australian historical war fiction inspired by true events.
April 25, 2023
Inspired by the experiences of Australian nurses, including the author’s great aunt, in Singapore during WWII, The War Nurses is a remarkable and moving story of courage, tragedy and friendship from Anthea Hodgson.
It’s 1941 when the Queen Mary sets sail carrying members of Australia’s armed forces overseas. Among them are volunteer enlisted nurses Margot, Beth, Lola, and Minnie, bunk mates who become friends on their journey. Stationed in Singapore, the women tend to the allied forces, proud to be of service, but they are forced to flee when the Japanese invade the island barely a year later. Herded onto the Vyner Brooke along with 60 other Australian nurses, over a hundred injured soldiers and dozens of expat evacuees, mostly women and children, the ship attempts an escape only to be strafed with bombs in the Bangka Strait.
The fate of Hodgson’s four heroines, and their fellow survivors, illuminate those of their real-life counterparts. Around 150 people survived the sinking of the ship and made their way to the closest shore clinging to rafts and debris. Tragically around fifty met their death on Radji Beach, among them 22 Australian nurses, at the hands of a party of Japanese soldiers, except for one lucky escapee. The rest of the survivors were captured, separated by gender, and then interned in camps until the war ended in 1945. Not all lived to be released.
I was already broadly familiar with the events on Bangka Island but the perspectives of the author’s characters create a sense of immersion in the ordeal. Written with genuine respect, compassion and empathy for the people on whom Hodgson’s characters are based, Margot, Beth, Lola, and Minnie are fully realised amalgamations. Hodgson relates how they endure their bleak circumstances with dignity, loyalty, wit, resourcefulness and determination.
As Hodgson later notes, many of the incidents in the story that seem unbelievable or exaggerated, are actually true. It’s a harrowing tale that brought me to tears more than once. That anyone survived, not just physically, seems almost a miracle. Yet the horror is tempered by warm and inspiring moments of friendship and support, small rebellions, and even a touch of romance.
A compelling novel, The War Nurses is a heartfelt and deserved tribute to the 65 members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who died and survived the sinking of Vyner Brooke.
It’s 1941 when the Queen Mary sets sail carrying members of Australia’s armed forces overseas. Among them are volunteer enlisted nurses Margot, Beth, Lola, and Minnie, bunk mates who become friends on their journey. Stationed in Singapore, the women tend to the allied forces, proud to be of service, but they are forced to flee when the Japanese invade the island barely a year later. Herded onto the Vyner Brooke along with 60 other Australian nurses, over a hundred injured soldiers and dozens of expat evacuees, mostly women and children, the ship attempts an escape only to be strafed with bombs in the Bangka Strait.
The fate of Hodgson’s four heroines, and their fellow survivors, illuminate those of their real-life counterparts. Around 150 people survived the sinking of the ship and made their way to the closest shore clinging to rafts and debris. Tragically around fifty met their death on Radji Beach, among them 22 Australian nurses, at the hands of a party of Japanese soldiers, except for one lucky escapee. The rest of the survivors were captured, separated by gender, and then interned in camps until the war ended in 1945. Not all lived to be released.
I was already broadly familiar with the events on Bangka Island but the perspectives of the author’s characters create a sense of immersion in the ordeal. Written with genuine respect, compassion and empathy for the people on whom Hodgson’s characters are based, Margot, Beth, Lola, and Minnie are fully realised amalgamations. Hodgson relates how they endure their bleak circumstances with dignity, loyalty, wit, resourcefulness and determination.
As Hodgson later notes, many of the incidents in the story that seem unbelievable or exaggerated, are actually true. It’s a harrowing tale that brought me to tears more than once. That anyone survived, not just physically, seems almost a miracle. Yet the horror is tempered by warm and inspiring moments of friendship and support, small rebellions, and even a touch of romance.
A compelling novel, The War Nurses is a heartfelt and deserved tribute to the 65 members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who died and survived the sinking of Vyner Brooke.
October 12, 2023
BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT!!!
My review would not do this phenomenal book justice, so I’m going to keep it brief.
The War Nurses by Aussie author Anthea Hodgson is a book unlike any I’ve ever read before. An outstanding, emotional, heartbreaking and unforgettable story. This is one of my favourite books of 2023. You you enjoy historical fiction then you MUST read this book. You will not be disappointed, but do keep the tissues handy. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
My review would not do this phenomenal book justice, so I’m going to keep it brief.
The War Nurses by Aussie author Anthea Hodgson is a book unlike any I’ve ever read before. An outstanding, emotional, heartbreaking and unforgettable story. This is one of my favourite books of 2023. You you enjoy historical fiction then you MUST read this book. You will not be disappointed, but do keep the tissues handy. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
April 2, 2023
Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
A remarkable story about female friendship during the horrors of World War Two.
It’s about courage, survival, tragedy, endurance and companionship.
Australian nurses Minnie, Margot, Beth and Lola are about to be thrown together among the battlefields during war in Singapore.
It’s 1941 and the woman are eager to do their bit for Australia and help injured soldiers.
A strong bond is formed and they enjoy a laugh or two amidst the fear.
When the Japanese attack, they board a ship to escape but soon its bombed, scattering the people aboard.
With half entering a prison camp and the others beached on Bangka Island where devastation awaits.
Anthea makes a favourable return to the book world, this time with a moving historical fiction saga that is inspired by true events and her own family’s history.
A highly anticipated read that did not disappoint, in fact it’s so incredible that you simply must read it.
It’s equal parts heartbreaking, harrowing, emotional, inspiring and courageous.
A book that you will want to quickly devour as well as appreciate every sentence.
A sentimental and touching journey that will give you all the feels.
I think it’s important to read the ‘Author Note’ at the end, it’s insightful and interesting.
Anthea has put her blood, sweat and tears as well as her heart and soul into this book and we are rewarded with an exceptional and extraordinary story that will never be forgotten.
If you only read one book this year, make sure it’s this one!
A remarkable story about female friendship during the horrors of World War Two.
It’s about courage, survival, tragedy, endurance and companionship.
Australian nurses Minnie, Margot, Beth and Lola are about to be thrown together among the battlefields during war in Singapore.
It’s 1941 and the woman are eager to do their bit for Australia and help injured soldiers.
A strong bond is formed and they enjoy a laugh or two amidst the fear.
When the Japanese attack, they board a ship to escape but soon its bombed, scattering the people aboard.
With half entering a prison camp and the others beached on Bangka Island where devastation awaits.
Anthea makes a favourable return to the book world, this time with a moving historical fiction saga that is inspired by true events and her own family’s history.
A highly anticipated read that did not disappoint, in fact it’s so incredible that you simply must read it.
It’s equal parts heartbreaking, harrowing, emotional, inspiring and courageous.
A book that you will want to quickly devour as well as appreciate every sentence.
A sentimental and touching journey that will give you all the feels.
I think it’s important to read the ‘Author Note’ at the end, it’s insightful and interesting.
Anthea has put her blood, sweat and tears as well as her heart and soul into this book and we are rewarded with an exceptional and extraordinary story that will never be forgotten.
If you only read one book this year, make sure it’s this one!
May 24, 2023
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Releasing in time for last month’s Anzac Day commemoration, The War Nurses is a historical fiction title inspired by real life experiences. The sinking of the Vyner Brooke after it was bombed followed by the Bangka Island massacre on Radji Beach in 1942 is the principal subject focus of West Australian author Anthea Hodgson’s much anticipated third novel. Filled with stories of extraordinary bravery, grit, resilience, fortitude and endurance, The War Nurses is a fundamental text that should not be overlooked.
Australia’s role in the war, with a focus on the female perspective of World War II, is illuminated in written form thanks to Anthea’s Hodgson’s The War Nurses. Taking us initially to the year 1941, we meet a group of country girls from WA who embark on an unforgettable journey to Singapore from Perth. Hoping to do their part of the war, these excited young women are keen to experience a new way of life while nursing injured soldiers in the war. While new friendships are forged, these women face incredible horrors as the war takes hold. The resulting Japanese attacks on Singapore send the Australian nursing crew on board a vessel named Vyner Brooke and this fateful move sees the women on board grapple with the aftermath of a fatal bomb attack from the Japanese. The Vyner Brooke is destroyed and the nurses find themselves facing a new nightmare in the prisoner of war camps run by the Japanese. This experience will test the nurses to their very limits as sickness, poor living conditions, the weather, the brutality of the soldiers and a lack of food and water consumes them one by one. A group of nurses who find shelter on the shores of Bangka Island face a destiny that cannot be erased from history, despite the attempts of the government to hide this terrible chapter of history. Remembering those who sacrificed their all in securing our freedom today, The War Nurses is a moving tribute to the heroic nurses of the Second World War and the Bangkor Island massacre.
I know it’s been a while since we last heard from Anthea Hodgson and now we know why. Hodgson has been toiling away for years on The War Nurses, living and breathing the hidden histories of her Aunt Minnie and company’s experiences during the Second World War. Finally, now that her third highly anticipated novel has been published, we are able to find out what kept Anthea so busy and committed to telling her Aunt Minnie’s story, along with the other incredibly brave nurses who shared this moving time with Minnie.
Anthea Hodgson, hats off to you for your passion, commitment and enduring spirit in ensuring that the nurses of the Bangkor Island Massacre and the Vyner Brooke bombing have their stories told. I know I was utterly captive from the moment I stepped into the pages of The War Nurses until the bitter end of this tragic novel. I feel so blessed to learn about the fate of these women, which is brought to life thanks to Anthea Hodgson’s penmanship. I also feel a touch embarrassed that I really didn’t know anything at all about this particular segment of the war. In fact, for years this pocket of Australian nursing history was hidden from the public thanks to a government gag order. I was inspired to conduct some further research and additional reading following the conclusion of my very moving reading experience of The War Nurses. Once readers crack this one open, they will discover a treasure trove of history linked to the very personal female perspective of the nurses who headed off to Singapore from Australia in the Second World War. Informed by copious documents, testimonies, museum artefacts and accounts, Anthea Hodgson has balanced plenty of historical fact with fiction, to ensure that we can fully connect to this incredibly moving story. I couldn’t believe thanks to the author notes that some of the most outrageous but also atrocious acts in this story were actually very real. I think you need to read it to believe it! Many of the scenes featured in The War Nurses are still sitting with me as I compose this review.
Hodgson’s connective writing allows us to see the various core nursing staff who grace the pages of this novel as much more than just historical figures from times past. We feel their emotions, feelings, anxieties, hopes, dreams and moments of utter despair. Each cast member is rendered perfectly, with a strong blend of authenticity and interest. I loved the touches of friendship and even romance that filled the pages of this unthinkable war story. It will fill your eyes with tears as these courageous women were placed in an against all odds situation, simply for serving their country. At every moment I felt a part of the comradery which is down to Hodgson’s enveloping style of storytelling. Make sure you read the author notes at the end of The War Nurses, it is vital that you understand the importance of this story.
I dearly hope the publication of The War Nurses will share the spirit and bravery of the women who gave their lives so selflessly to the war effort, in such heartbreaking circumstances. May they live on in our own minds thanks to the dedicated words of author Anthea Hodgson.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Releasing in time for last month’s Anzac Day commemoration, The War Nurses is a historical fiction title inspired by real life experiences. The sinking of the Vyner Brooke after it was bombed followed by the Bangka Island massacre on Radji Beach in 1942 is the principal subject focus of West Australian author Anthea Hodgson’s much anticipated third novel. Filled with stories of extraordinary bravery, grit, resilience, fortitude and endurance, The War Nurses is a fundamental text that should not be overlooked.
Australia’s role in the war, with a focus on the female perspective of World War II, is illuminated in written form thanks to Anthea’s Hodgson’s The War Nurses. Taking us initially to the year 1941, we meet a group of country girls from WA who embark on an unforgettable journey to Singapore from Perth. Hoping to do their part of the war, these excited young women are keen to experience a new way of life while nursing injured soldiers in the war. While new friendships are forged, these women face incredible horrors as the war takes hold. The resulting Japanese attacks on Singapore send the Australian nursing crew on board a vessel named Vyner Brooke and this fateful move sees the women on board grapple with the aftermath of a fatal bomb attack from the Japanese. The Vyner Brooke is destroyed and the nurses find themselves facing a new nightmare in the prisoner of war camps run by the Japanese. This experience will test the nurses to their very limits as sickness, poor living conditions, the weather, the brutality of the soldiers and a lack of food and water consumes them one by one. A group of nurses who find shelter on the shores of Bangka Island face a destiny that cannot be erased from history, despite the attempts of the government to hide this terrible chapter of history. Remembering those who sacrificed their all in securing our freedom today, The War Nurses is a moving tribute to the heroic nurses of the Second World War and the Bangkor Island massacre.
I know it’s been a while since we last heard from Anthea Hodgson and now we know why. Hodgson has been toiling away for years on The War Nurses, living and breathing the hidden histories of her Aunt Minnie and company’s experiences during the Second World War. Finally, now that her third highly anticipated novel has been published, we are able to find out what kept Anthea so busy and committed to telling her Aunt Minnie’s story, along with the other incredibly brave nurses who shared this moving time with Minnie.
Anthea Hodgson, hats off to you for your passion, commitment and enduring spirit in ensuring that the nurses of the Bangkor Island Massacre and the Vyner Brooke bombing have their stories told. I know I was utterly captive from the moment I stepped into the pages of The War Nurses until the bitter end of this tragic novel. I feel so blessed to learn about the fate of these women, which is brought to life thanks to Anthea Hodgson’s penmanship. I also feel a touch embarrassed that I really didn’t know anything at all about this particular segment of the war. In fact, for years this pocket of Australian nursing history was hidden from the public thanks to a government gag order. I was inspired to conduct some further research and additional reading following the conclusion of my very moving reading experience of The War Nurses. Once readers crack this one open, they will discover a treasure trove of history linked to the very personal female perspective of the nurses who headed off to Singapore from Australia in the Second World War. Informed by copious documents, testimonies, museum artefacts and accounts, Anthea Hodgson has balanced plenty of historical fact with fiction, to ensure that we can fully connect to this incredibly moving story. I couldn’t believe thanks to the author notes that some of the most outrageous but also atrocious acts in this story were actually very real. I think you need to read it to believe it! Many of the scenes featured in The War Nurses are still sitting with me as I compose this review.
Hodgson’s connective writing allows us to see the various core nursing staff who grace the pages of this novel as much more than just historical figures from times past. We feel their emotions, feelings, anxieties, hopes, dreams and moments of utter despair. Each cast member is rendered perfectly, with a strong blend of authenticity and interest. I loved the touches of friendship and even romance that filled the pages of this unthinkable war story. It will fill your eyes with tears as these courageous women were placed in an against all odds situation, simply for serving their country. At every moment I felt a part of the comradery which is down to Hodgson’s enveloping style of storytelling. Make sure you read the author notes at the end of The War Nurses, it is vital that you understand the importance of this story.
I dearly hope the publication of The War Nurses will share the spirit and bravery of the women who gave their lives so selflessly to the war effort, in such heartbreaking circumstances. May they live on in our own minds thanks to the dedicated words of author Anthea Hodgson.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
April 14, 2023
What a tribute to the World War Two Australian nurses who served in the pacific. So brave, so resilient, so dutiful. I loved Minnie, Beth, Lola and Margot. I loved their friendship and inner strength as they serve on the front line. These nurses will sit on my shoulders. I found it hard reading, but at no point could I have put down this novel. It is heartbreaking, but so important. The Bangla Island Massacre, I didn’t know, and it is something we as Australians should. I’m so glad I read it
August 19, 2024
Obviously this book is generally well liked; but for me I just wasn't emotionally invested, the dialogue annoyed me and I was disappointed.
June 9, 2023
⭐️5 Stars⭐️
Sometimes a book takes your breath away!
The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson is a remarkable book you will never forget! The story is set during WWII and is mostly based on true facts. I was blown away to learn of this unimaginable part of Australian history. This book is also a beautiful tribute to all the Australian nurses that served in the Pacific and to an especially brave member of the author’s family. These women are heroines and their stories have been hidden away way too long.
Australian nurses Minnie, Margot, Lola & Beth embark on a journey from Australia to Singapore excited to be contributing to the war effort and to be there to nurse the sick and wounded soldiers.
As the war finally takes hold, the Japanese take Singapore, this results in the nurses and wounded soldiers boarding a fateful boat named the Vyner Brooke which is relentlessly bombed. The survivors find themselves separated into two groups and the fate that awaits them is brutal.
The events that take place afterwards are shocking and these brave nurses show their true courage and endurance to the end. Each character in the book is presented with strong authenticity. I loved the friendships formed and the storyline has many harrowing and intense moments, I couldn’t put the book down.
I loved this book so much, it left me speechless and I haven’t been able to bring myself to write the review until now, a few weeks later! An absolute must read and a story that had to be told.
Publication Date 12 April 2023
Publisher Michael Joseph
Thanks so much Penguin Books Australia and to the author who has put heart and soul into this book.
Sometimes a book takes your breath away!
The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson is a remarkable book you will never forget! The story is set during WWII and is mostly based on true facts. I was blown away to learn of this unimaginable part of Australian history. This book is also a beautiful tribute to all the Australian nurses that served in the Pacific and to an especially brave member of the author’s family. These women are heroines and their stories have been hidden away way too long.
Australian nurses Minnie, Margot, Lola & Beth embark on a journey from Australia to Singapore excited to be contributing to the war effort and to be there to nurse the sick and wounded soldiers.
As the war finally takes hold, the Japanese take Singapore, this results in the nurses and wounded soldiers boarding a fateful boat named the Vyner Brooke which is relentlessly bombed. The survivors find themselves separated into two groups and the fate that awaits them is brutal.
The events that take place afterwards are shocking and these brave nurses show their true courage and endurance to the end. Each character in the book is presented with strong authenticity. I loved the friendships formed and the storyline has many harrowing and intense moments, I couldn’t put the book down.
I loved this book so much, it left me speechless and I haven’t been able to bring myself to write the review until now, a few weeks later! An absolute must read and a story that had to be told.
Publication Date 12 April 2023
Publisher Michael Joseph
Thanks so much Penguin Books Australia and to the author who has put heart and soul into this book.
May 5, 2023
Oh my Goodness, what a story. Make sure you have tissues when reading this one.
I say this all the time, but I have poor historical knowledge. I think schooling in Australia is really inadequate at teaching history and most of what I’ve learned (that wasn’t James Cook “discovering” Australia) I’ve taught myself as an adult, through reading books based on real events and researching after that. And this is not an exception – I hadn’t even heard of the Bangka Island Massacre before hearing about this book and that’s a travesty because everyone should know about this. There was a lot of secrecy and people being forbidden to tell their story (some of which was by the Australian Government) which I found sad and insulting to the people that lived through it and their families.
The War Nurses takes place in the thick of World War II – Australian nurses Minnie, Margot, Beth, Lola and others are sent to Singapore to nurse the troops fighting in the Pacific. Although the conditions are at times, a bit challenging – the approaching Japanese, the oppressive heat, the struggle for medical supplies, the long shifts – the women build a camaraderie and make the best of their situation, caring for the men that get brought into them. At first it’s mostly minor injuries before it escalates. They are able to socialise and enjoy themselves. They are moved several times and then retreat back to Singapore before being finally given the order to evacuate, back to Australia in various boats. However those who draw the straw of being aboard the Vyner Brooke are relentlessly bombed by Japanese aircraft in the South China Sea. The people on board were a mix of injured soldiers, the nurses who had been caring for them and civilians from Singapore who were being forced to leave. The boat is sunk and the survivors are forced to paddle, swim and float for their lives towards the small island of Bangka. A Dutch colony, it has also been taken by the Japanese who need resources to fuel their war. The group of survivors wash up in various locations, some of them band back together, others are separated by greater distance.
What happens next is heartbreaking in various different ways. A portion of the survivors endure an internment camp for years along with Dutch residents of the island, who have also been rounded up, and the conditions make Singapore seem like the height of indulgent luxury. The nurses, who we focus on, are fighting a constantly losing battle of trying to nurse sick people with nothing in the way of medical supplies at all and very little food. They are basically starving, existing on the most absolute meagre portion of rations that would keep a person alive (and for some, not even that). Disease is rife – it is difficult to be able to maintain the proper hygiene practices and illnesses like dysentery and beriberi tear through the camps. Despite begging to be seen as legitimate prisoners of war, which would afford them certain conditions, the Japanese refuse and see them only as internees and no one seems at all concerned about the Geneva Convention and its requirements.
Every so often they are forced to move camps, which means packing everything they have (not much) and travelling either by boat of by foot, often for significant distances. Some people literally just die along the way, so malnourished that they cannot make it. There are things in the latter half of the book that are really distressing to read but at the same time, the strong friendship and the resilience of the women shine through, even as they are facing the absolute worst happening around them. They have lost some of their friends, they are watching more and more die as time goes by, there is such helplessness as they cannot do their jobs but they still manage to keep strong and keep going. It was sometimes as heartwarming, reading about the strength of their connections, as it was heartbreaking reading about the horrific conditions and the dehumanising of the nurses and civilians who had been taken into the internment camps. And it isn’t at all limited to this particular area in this particular time either. Dehumanising is a constant in war, ‘othering’ in a way that allows self-justification of heinous acts.
I would encourage anyone who doesn’t know much (or anything!) about this to definitely read up on it, particularly the survival account of Vivian Bullwinkel, an Australian nurse who does appear briefly in this book. More research and investigation has been done in recent times to shine more of a light on this incident, to make sure that some of these stories have been told. The Authors Note included here also asserts that almost everything that happened in this book is true – Anthea Hodgson’s great-aunt, Minnie Hodgson, lost her life during this war on Bangka Island and she is commemorated here as a main character in fictionalised form.
A brilliant book, written to showcase friendship and spirit and you can see how much love, care and respect was poured into it.
I say this all the time, but I have poor historical knowledge. I think schooling in Australia is really inadequate at teaching history and most of what I’ve learned (that wasn’t James Cook “discovering” Australia) I’ve taught myself as an adult, through reading books based on real events and researching after that. And this is not an exception – I hadn’t even heard of the Bangka Island Massacre before hearing about this book and that’s a travesty because everyone should know about this. There was a lot of secrecy and people being forbidden to tell their story (some of which was by the Australian Government) which I found sad and insulting to the people that lived through it and their families.
The War Nurses takes place in the thick of World War II – Australian nurses Minnie, Margot, Beth, Lola and others are sent to Singapore to nurse the troops fighting in the Pacific. Although the conditions are at times, a bit challenging – the approaching Japanese, the oppressive heat, the struggle for medical supplies, the long shifts – the women build a camaraderie and make the best of their situation, caring for the men that get brought into them. At first it’s mostly minor injuries before it escalates. They are able to socialise and enjoy themselves. They are moved several times and then retreat back to Singapore before being finally given the order to evacuate, back to Australia in various boats. However those who draw the straw of being aboard the Vyner Brooke are relentlessly bombed by Japanese aircraft in the South China Sea. The people on board were a mix of injured soldiers, the nurses who had been caring for them and civilians from Singapore who were being forced to leave. The boat is sunk and the survivors are forced to paddle, swim and float for their lives towards the small island of Bangka. A Dutch colony, it has also been taken by the Japanese who need resources to fuel their war. The group of survivors wash up in various locations, some of them band back together, others are separated by greater distance.
What happens next is heartbreaking in various different ways. A portion of the survivors endure an internment camp for years along with Dutch residents of the island, who have also been rounded up, and the conditions make Singapore seem like the height of indulgent luxury. The nurses, who we focus on, are fighting a constantly losing battle of trying to nurse sick people with nothing in the way of medical supplies at all and very little food. They are basically starving, existing on the most absolute meagre portion of rations that would keep a person alive (and for some, not even that). Disease is rife – it is difficult to be able to maintain the proper hygiene practices and illnesses like dysentery and beriberi tear through the camps. Despite begging to be seen as legitimate prisoners of war, which would afford them certain conditions, the Japanese refuse and see them only as internees and no one seems at all concerned about the Geneva Convention and its requirements.
Every so often they are forced to move camps, which means packing everything they have (not much) and travelling either by boat of by foot, often for significant distances. Some people literally just die along the way, so malnourished that they cannot make it. There are things in the latter half of the book that are really distressing to read but at the same time, the strong friendship and the resilience of the women shine through, even as they are facing the absolute worst happening around them. They have lost some of their friends, they are watching more and more die as time goes by, there is such helplessness as they cannot do their jobs but they still manage to keep strong and keep going. It was sometimes as heartwarming, reading about the strength of their connections, as it was heartbreaking reading about the horrific conditions and the dehumanising of the nurses and civilians who had been taken into the internment camps. And it isn’t at all limited to this particular area in this particular time either. Dehumanising is a constant in war, ‘othering’ in a way that allows self-justification of heinous acts.
I would encourage anyone who doesn’t know much (or anything!) about this to definitely read up on it, particularly the survival account of Vivian Bullwinkel, an Australian nurse who does appear briefly in this book. More research and investigation has been done in recent times to shine more of a light on this incident, to make sure that some of these stories have been told. The Authors Note included here also asserts that almost everything that happened in this book is true – Anthea Hodgson’s great-aunt, Minnie Hodgson, lost her life during this war on Bangka Island and she is commemorated here as a main character in fictionalised form.
A brilliant book, written to showcase friendship and spirit and you can see how much love, care and respect was poured into it.
March 30, 2023
✍️ This is the true story of country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee who in 1941 sail from Perth to Singapore working as Nurses to the fallen soldiers of war.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. When the ship is bombed one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war whilst the other group are washed ashore on Bangka Island leading to a fate that will never be forgotten.
After reading the Synopsis I had quite innocently not heard of the Horrendous "Bangka Island Massacre" that occurred during World War Two so I did some research before starting this book and I have to say now that I have finished it that @antheahodgson delivered the story in the most Righteous and Gracious way that it deserved to be written. What Indelible, Graceful and Heartfelt Storytelling.
Bravery, Grief, Torment, Defiance, Friendship and Humanity, "The War Nurses" was an impelling and significant story filled with evocative and imaginative detail that tore through my heartstrings and left a lasting impression on me.
I highly recommend reading this book for the recognition that it deserves as well as the beautiful storytelling which was motivated by Anthea's family history of her Great Aunt Minnie and her heroic efforts along with the other incredible people that were involved.
This will be published 12 April 2023
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. When the ship is bombed one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war whilst the other group are washed ashore on Bangka Island leading to a fate that will never be forgotten.
After reading the Synopsis I had quite innocently not heard of the Horrendous "Bangka Island Massacre" that occurred during World War Two so I did some research before starting this book and I have to say now that I have finished it that @antheahodgson delivered the story in the most Righteous and Gracious way that it deserved to be written. What Indelible, Graceful and Heartfelt Storytelling.
Bravery, Grief, Torment, Defiance, Friendship and Humanity, "The War Nurses" was an impelling and significant story filled with evocative and imaginative detail that tore through my heartstrings and left a lasting impression on me.
I highly recommend reading this book for the recognition that it deserves as well as the beautiful storytelling which was motivated by Anthea's family history of her Great Aunt Minnie and her heroic efforts along with the other incredible people that were involved.
This will be published 12 April 2023
September 18, 2023
Holy Moly! Talk about blowing your world right open with a healthy (is there such a thing) but painful dose of the reality of war. My friend recommended I read this one, but warned me I’d need a box and a half of tissues with me. Consider myself warned. And yet nothing could really warn me for the raw emotion, the shared pain, courage and bravery that is so beautifully encapsulated in this novel. I wish I could give this one more than 5 stars!
January 31, 2024
The author did an amazing job at depicting the characters.
Such a great lead up to what really opened my eyes to some of the atrocities that happened during WW11.
Every emotion was felt, from pure joy and excitement to anger.
Worth the read
Such a great lead up to what really opened my eyes to some of the atrocities that happened during WW11.
Every emotion was felt, from pure joy and excitement to anger.
Worth the read
July 23, 2024
I am so glad we had soldiers to fight the war and all the nurses and doctors to care for the wounded. I can’t imagine living in such a scary time.
This is a trigger warning for some gruesome situations that happened.
I love how the author went the extra mile to have it closest to the true events as possible. This makes it more heartbreaking knowing that.
This is a trigger warning for some gruesome situations that happened.
I love how the author went the extra mile to have it closest to the true events as possible. This makes it more heartbreaking knowing that.
September 30, 2024
3.5 stars. It is great historical fiction based on true events and people. Although this was a slow burn read, I'm so glad I got through it to learn about a piece of history I wasn't aware of. The Bangka Island massacre 1942, where Australian nurses were raped and murdered. The story follows 4 main characters and is divided between audio from each one. It was difficult to follow who was who at times, and they kind of blended into one another. We follow the nurses, as they are imprisoned for the rest of the war duration and how they survive in the war camp. A heart breaking story and grim at times, but I learned a lot.
July 29, 2023
Technically a DNF, I was less than 100 pages off. This was a harrowing story. Definitely confronting. And I think written in a different style would have hit harder. Overall very dialogue driven, but challenging to get beyond superficial details of characters. Felt like you were blindly watching characters from afar. A lot of what happened to the women themselves was overlooked, in terms of the time spent and detail. The suffering of others too a higher priority throughout.
August 13, 2023
I was really looking forward to reading this after hearing discussion about the book on the radio. Unfortunately it fell well short of expectations. It was poorly written, it felt very amateurish.I couldn't tell one character from the next and didn't care for any of them. I ended up flicking through most of the book just to get it finished.
May 16, 2023
A really tough but important topic but a bit slow and I struggled to sort out all the characters.
Read
April 17, 2023In 1941, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia, for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses – the girls on the beach – are washed ashore on Bangka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
The story of Bangka Island must never be forgotten and we must always remember our brave Nurses - Lest we Forget. You will laugh, you will cry, you be amazed by their strength and courage as the story unfolds of Minnie, Beth, Lola and Margot - these four amazing ladies showcase our wonderful Australian nurses.
This was a very personal story for Anthea and she has done our World War II nurses and Great Aunt Minnie proud. She has told their story - this is part of our history that a lot of people do not know about it and they should.
Thank you so much Anthea for sharing this personal story. You made me laugh at some of their antics and tears (even though I knew what occurred) at the massacre of our nurses and soldiers plus what they went through as prisoners of war. This book is a must to read 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses – the girls on the beach – are washed ashore on Bangka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
The story of Bangka Island must never be forgotten and we must always remember our brave Nurses - Lest we Forget. You will laugh, you will cry, you be amazed by their strength and courage as the story unfolds of Minnie, Beth, Lola and Margot - these four amazing ladies showcase our wonderful Australian nurses.
This was a very personal story for Anthea and she has done our World War II nurses and Great Aunt Minnie proud. She has told their story - this is part of our history that a lot of people do not know about it and they should.
Thank you so much Anthea for sharing this personal story. You made me laugh at some of their antics and tears (even though I knew what occurred) at the massacre of our nurses and soldiers plus what they went through as prisoners of war. This book is a must to read 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
July 15, 2023
This one broke my heart - filled it, warmed it, wrenched it, broke it, then knitted it back together. A beautiful story of friendship, resilience and survival despite the horrific brutality of war, The War Nurses uses the true story of the Bangka Island Massacre to explore the determination, loyalty and courage of the Australian nurses who served, and pay tribute to those who lost their lives.
The research was impeccable; at times the wilting heat of Sumatra and the sting of mosquitoes leapt off the page; I swore I could even hear the whirring of bombs and the panicked shouts of survivors as I read.
There were moments I didn’t want to turn the page, but I was as helpless against the pull of this story as the survivors of the Vyner Brooke were when the tides washed them up on the shores of Bangka Island, and I was glad I read all the way to the bittersweet and beautifully written end.
The research was impeccable; at times the wilting heat of Sumatra and the sting of mosquitoes leapt off the page; I swore I could even hear the whirring of bombs and the panicked shouts of survivors as I read.
There were moments I didn’t want to turn the page, but I was as helpless against the pull of this story as the survivors of the Vyner Brooke were when the tides washed them up on the shores of Bangka Island, and I was glad I read all the way to the bittersweet and beautifully written end.
April 17, 2023
The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson is an absolute triumph!! I became a fan of Anthea Hodgson's books after reading The Drifter and The Cowgirl (both of which I absolutely loved) and for this reason I was excited when I saw "The War Nurses" coming out in bookstores (as well as being made available through ebook and audio). While reading The War Nurses I felt as if I had been transported to 1941-1945, the visual imagery is so strong and beautiful that picturing the characters and scenes happened quickly and easily for me. This is truly an amazing story based on true events and it has been written with great eloquence, poetry and compassion. And although the subject matter at times is dark, the way in which the author dealt with this (through wonderful and strong friendships and sprinklings of humor) made it incredibly easy to read and hard to put down. Be sure to read "The War Nurses", it is truly wonderful but be warned you will need a box of tissues, the tears will be flowing by the end of this remarkable story!!
July 8, 2023
Such a lovely tribute to the Nurses of WWII
December 13, 2024
Inspiring, Brave Courageous Women. I am so privileged to acknowledge their stories and thankful of the great sacrifices they all made.
February 27, 2025
This one hurt my soul a lot, there is a reason why nursing is such a sisterhood 😭❤️
August 30, 2024
Incredible, raw, heartbreaking and beautiful 🤍
August 7, 2023
"... it isn't enough to tell you the story; my job is to make you care." ~ Anthea Hodgson
The novel opens and suddenly, there are a myriad of characters and I have to admit that I struggled to identify who's who. And then to have the 2 perspectives with names starting with M, I struggled pointing out who's who until certain events occurred and it made such distinction for me. I don't know if anyone else struggled; this could just be a me thing...
Ever since I watched Paradise Road, I've been interested in this particular part of history of women during the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia and there aren't that many novels around this particular theme. At least, I think this is only the second one I've read (happy to hear your recommendations!). I have to warn you though that you do need a box of tissues with this read. I think after around halfway through the book, I pretty much sobbed my way through to the end of the book. It's not one that you wanted to put down either because who could go to sleep with such horrible visions in your head!?! I mean it wasn't that great after the finish either but it's better because you know you've reached the end.
The War Nurses features such amazing women! While it is fiction, some are based on real historical personages and despite, or rather in spite, of the author's artistic licence, we can appreciate just how horrific these times were for these women. Your heart will break over and over and you just wonder how can people be so cruel and at the same time, how others can be so kind and courageous! I also found it very intriguing that the author created a protagonist who thought of her own heart being timid but when it all came down, she found that she could be just as brave as any others.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Australia for gifting me a copy of this book. Thoughts are mine own.
The novel opens and suddenly, there are a myriad of characters and I have to admit that I struggled to identify who's who. And then to have the 2 perspectives with names starting with M, I struggled pointing out who's who until certain events occurred and it made such distinction for me. I don't know if anyone else struggled; this could just be a me thing...
Ever since I watched Paradise Road, I've been interested in this particular part of history of women during the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia and there aren't that many novels around this particular theme. At least, I think this is only the second one I've read (happy to hear your recommendations!). I have to warn you though that you do need a box of tissues with this read. I think after around halfway through the book, I pretty much sobbed my way through to the end of the book. It's not one that you wanted to put down either because who could go to sleep with such horrible visions in your head!?! I mean it wasn't that great after the finish either but it's better because you know you've reached the end.
The War Nurses features such amazing women! While it is fiction, some are based on real historical personages and despite, or rather in spite, of the author's artistic licence, we can appreciate just how horrific these times were for these women. Your heart will break over and over and you just wonder how can people be so cruel and at the same time, how others can be so kind and courageous! I also found it very intriguing that the author created a protagonist who thought of her own heart being timid but when it all came down, she found that she could be just as brave as any others.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Australia for gifting me a copy of this book. Thoughts are mine own.
May 26, 2023
The War Nurses, inspired by the author's own family history, is a sensitively-written story of friendship, courage, and endurance. It is based on the true events of the Bangka Island Massacre, and not only does it have the power to inform and inspire, but it can also break your heart. I've read non-fiction accounts of the things nurses were forced to endure in Southeast Asia during World War II, and Hodgson's novel ranks right up there with them.
The author's notes and acknowledgments at the end of the book let readers know important facts and how she pieced together the story. The mind boggles at what these women were forced to endure and at how they managed to use their wits and courage to survive in unbelievable circumstances. (One of the things that made the nurses' situation even worse was that they were not considered to be prisoners of war. They were merely "internees" and not given any of the paltry "extras" prisoners of war were allowed. This really put their creativity to the test.)
As sad and horrifying as The War Nurses could be, I also found it heartwarming to read how important and life-affirming friendship was to these women, and what they would do to endure, to live to tell others of what really happened.
The author's notes and acknowledgments at the end of the book let readers know important facts and how she pieced together the story. The mind boggles at what these women were forced to endure and at how they managed to use their wits and courage to survive in unbelievable circumstances. (One of the things that made the nurses' situation even worse was that they were not considered to be prisoners of war. They were merely "internees" and not given any of the paltry "extras" prisoners of war were allowed. This really put their creativity to the test.)
As sad and horrifying as The War Nurses could be, I also found it heartwarming to read how important and life-affirming friendship was to these women, and what they would do to endure, to live to tell others of what really happened.
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