Media Release
17 February 2023
Australian Embassy representatives attended commemorative services on Bangka Island this week to honour the Australian nurses who were killed on the shores of Radji Beach, Bangka Island during World War II.
On 16 February 1942, a ship carrying wounded British soldiers and Australian nurses fleeing Singapore was sunk by Japanese forces near Bangka Island. Survivors were taken to Radji Beach, where up to 50 British soldiers were executed. The 22 Australian nurses were then instructed to walk into the sea where they were gunned down from the shore. Only one of the nurses - Vivian Bullwinkel - survived.
“We remember the nurses, military and civilians who were brutally murdered on Radji Beach 81 years ago,” said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Ms Penny Williams.
“For many, the shores of Radji Beach remain hallowed ground. Lest we forget,” she said.
Australian government representatives also paid their respects to Australian diplomat Vivian Gordon Bowden, who tragically lost his life on 17 February 1942 in Muntok while attempting to evacuate to Australia. Mr Bowden was the only Australian diplomat to be killed in World War II.
In honour of Mr Bowden’s sacrifice, Australian Embassy representative Tom Pearce awarded Bangka Belitung University (BBU) students, Janeke Kusherawati and Jesen, the Vivian Gordon Bowden Education Prize for 2023. The Education Prize is awarded each year to two BBU students, contributing to their tuition and living expenses.
“This prestigious award allows us to honour the memory of the late Vivian Gordon Bowden, and support Bangka Island’s next generation of leaders to pursue their educational and future career goals,” Mr Pearce said.
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