Ernest Malley 📚🤨

At the Kranji War Memorial - I recognised Irene Drummond's name, but not Matron Olive Paschke, so I did a little bit of research. Born in Dimboola, she joined the @AustralianArmy in July 1940. Promoted to Matron, she posted to the 2/10th AGH. During the retreat to Singapore, she organised a 200 bed hospital in an abandoned school in just two days. As the fall of Singapore looked increasingly inevitable, the nurses where ordered to evacuate. They demanded to stay with their patients, those they owed a duty of care to. Some where threatened with courts martial if they did not leave. She was one of the last out, with Matron Drummond, on the Vyner Brooke. The ship was bombed, and she, along with five other nurses took to a raft. The raft ebbed and flowed before heading out to sea and it was never seen again. There were 65 nurses on the Vyner Brooke. Twelve were lost at sea, 21 were executed on Radji Beach and 32 went into captivity, where a further eight died. Lest we forget.

Paid our respects Kranji War Memorial. Around 2,750 Australians are buried or commemorated here. They lay with Indians, Brits, Malays - the Commonwealth came together in time of crisis. I think about how tough the fighting was, and how we could have prepared them better. Some were barely trained and the strategy that lead them here was very poor. Thank you to the team from the @CWGC for keeping this special place looking just right.