Bessie WILMOTT. Nursing Sister (Lieutenant) (AIF) WFX3439 AANS formerly W233412 AANS attached to 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station.
Born 24 May 1913 at Coma, Western Australia to John Henry and Clarice Wilmott, of Perth, Western Australia step daughter of Lilian Wilmott, of 6 Gardner Street, Como, Western Australia.
On the 16 February 1942 she and 21 nurses were executed by the Japanese whilst P.O.W
Notes from her service records W.233412
She enlisted 14 August 1940 at Perth, Western Australia aged 27 years.
Her next of kin her mother.
14 August 1940 transferred from 10th Australian General Hospital to C.D.S. 5th Medical District.
29 October 1940 transferred to 110 Australian General Hospital, Lucknow.
12 November 1940 appointed Staff Nurse
15 November 1940 posted back to C.D.S. Rollnest, Australia.
Continues notes as WX3439
Volunteered to join Australian Imperial Force as WX3439 for overseas postings
On Pre-embarkation leave from 14 January 1941 to 20 January 1941
10 February 1941 Embarked with 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station from Freemantle on Queen Mary for Singapore Malaya
18 February 1941 Disembarked at Malaya and set up clearing station at Kajang.
Same day detached she was detached to 2/9th Field Ambulance.
20 August 1941 re-joined 2/4th C.C.S at Kajang
11 September 1941 granted leave to Singapore, returning on the 16th.
20 January 1942 attached for duty with 10 Australian General Hospital. She returned to her unit 31 January 1942.
06 February 1942 reposted for duty at 10 Australian General Hospital.
12 February 1942 embarked Singapore with 2/4th C.C.S.
14 February 1942 reported missing.
16 February 1942 Reported executed whilst P.O.W. by the Japanese she was aged 28
Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, Singapore. Included in the Nurses’ War Memorial Chapel in Westminster Abbey, London.
She and sixty-four Australian nurses, wounded service men and 250 civilian men, women and children were evacuated on Vyner Brooke from Singapore on the 12 February 1942. The ship was bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft of Bangka island east of Sumatra on the 14 February 1942. Some of the survivors reached the island only to be captured by the Imperial Japanese Army Some were imprisoned in Palembang and Muntok POW camps others were massacred including twenty-one nurses. On the 16 February 1942 the nurses were ordered to march into the sea and stand in a row where they were shot from behind. She was aged 28. Only one nurse survived, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel.
Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Sixty five Australian nurses and over 250 civilian men, women and children evacuated on the Vyner Brooke from Singapore, three days before the fall of Malaya. The Vyner Brooke was bombed by Japanese aircraft and sunk in Banka Strait on 14...
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Image and newspaper extract credited to Western nurse March-April 2017 (ANF Western Nurse Magazine) ready
