Sister Bullwinkel: The untold uncensored story

In February 1942, Vivian Bullwinkel was the sole survivor of a horrific massacre on Radji Beach, where 21 Australian nurses and one civilian woman were murdered by Japanese forces.  For 80 years, the world only heard a sanitised version of her story – one that Vivian herself had been ordered to tell throughout her lifetime.  The true, brutal account of what occurred on that fateful day was buried by military officials and Australian authorities.

For over five decades, until her death in July 2000, Bullwinkel maintained a brave silence about the full horror of what she witnessed – and endured – after surviving the massacre and spending three and a half years as a prisoner of war in Sumatra.

In this groundbreaking book Sister Bullwinkel: The untold uncensored story, acclaimed historian Lynette Ramsay Silver, who is often referred to as the as the 'history detective' and respected for her forensic investigations, uncovers the secrets of what really transpired.  This book is the first uncensored and comprehensive story of what really happened.

"I have spoken to a number of nurses imprisoned with Vivian Bullwinkel and Vivian herself, and I am left in no doubt that all of them are protecting secrets, secrets they had sworn never to reveal – they have even said as much", writes Lynette Ramsay Silver.

It would take almost 80 years for part of that secrecy to be revealed in Silver's 2019 publication, Angels of Mercy.  Since then, more facts have emerged.  Now, for the first time, the truth is told.  Through meticulous research and never before published material, Silver exposes the truth behind the official version of events, revealing the secrets Bullwinkel carried in silence until her death in 2000.

Silver, who uncovered the full scope of this tragic event states, "I refuse to stay silent, to be party to any further cover up. It is time to tell the real story of the life of this amazing Australian woman.  Vivian wanted a voice.  I am proud, finally, to be able to give it to her."

Sister Bullwinkel: The untold uncensored story is a powerful historical account of one of Australia's most courageous heroines in World War II.  Silver's extensive research exposes the truth about the massacre and the subsequent coverup, while also providing an intimate look at Bullwinkel's life, from her nursing training at Broken Hill, to war years to her legacy as a leader in the Australian nursing community.  With previously unreleased details, this definitive book honours the legacy of a woman who endured unimaginable trauma and yet went on to inspire generations.

Sister Bullwinkel: The untold uncensored story

by Lynette Ramsay Silver

Sally Milner Publishing

RRP: $39.99

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