Six Barts Nurses from World War Two

People, Nurses Stories, Stories

Six names are etched on the Nurses’ Memorial Window in the Church of St Bartholomew the Less. All six nurses trained at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and died during World War Two. Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, what are their stories and what happened to them?

Annie Jobling

Annie Jobling was born in 1907 in Burnley, the daughter of the daughter of Thomas Ernest and Elizabeth (nee Lambert) Jobling. Annie’s mother died when she was ten years old. In 1929, Annie began her nurse training at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London where she qualified in 1933.

In 1939, Annie was working as a night sister in Northampton General Hospital. However, she had also enlisted as a Sister with the Territorial Army Nursing Service. In February 1940 Annie was working with No 17 General Hospital in France. The hospital served in France during 1940 and prior to the Dunkirk evacuation and was then based in Hatfield before being sent to Dehradun in India.

Then, on 2nd July 1943 the British Merchant Steamer SS Hoihow left Port Louis, Mauritius bound for Tamatave, Madagascar. The ship was carrying 149 people, among them was Annie Jobling. For several hours, the ship was relentlessly pursued by German U Boats. 100 miles north of Madagascar, SS Hoihow was hit by two torpedoes fired from U-181. The ship sank within three minutes. Only three crew and one civilian survived. You can read more about Annie Jobling here.

Brenda Irene Wells

Brenda was born in 1910 and lived in Louth, Lincolnshire. She trained as a nurse at Barts, qualifying in 1933. Brenda went on to qualify as a midwife. When war broke out she joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service as a sister.

In February 1942, Brenda was in Singapore as the Japanese were advancing. The SS Kuala was a small coaster and involved in the evacuation of Singapore. As the ship was taking on passengers it came under sustained attack by Japanese aircraft. Many passengers were injured from flying glass and shrapnel so the nurses would have been busy tending to the wounded. Fifty nurses were on board including Brenda Wells. The situation was precarious and the master decided to sail at night to avoid detection by the Japanese. He sent crew to Pom Pong Island to get branches to disguise the ship but the vessel was suddenly hit by a massive explosion from a direct hit by enemy aircraft. The boiler room was on fire and everyone was forced to jump overboard. Sadly many were caught by a current and swept away.

Brenda is remembered on the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore, column 114.

Daphne Geraldine Strange

Daphne was born in China in 1912. Her father Charles Frederick Strange was a surgeon. Daphne trained at St Bartholomew’s Hospital as a nurse from 1932-1936. She qualified as a midwife in 1937.

Daphne Strange was 29 years old when she was killed on the 14 February 1942 on the SS Vyner Brooke. The Vyner Brooke is linked to one of the most horrendous war crimes in World War Two and was a British registered cargo ship built in 1928. Up until the outbreak of the Second World War, the Vyner Brooke operated between Kuching and Singapore. However, on the 12 February 1942, Vyner Brooke was one of the last evacuation ships to escape Singapore with 181 passengers and crew. Daphne was on board along with the last 65 Australian nursing sisters to leave Singapore. In the early hours of 13 February the ship came under attack by enemy Japanese aircraft, sinking off Banka Island. Daphne was killed when the ship sank. However, for those 60 passengers who made it ashore, they already found the island occupied by the Japanese. Although the group surrendered, the men were executed by the Japanese. Then, the 22 Australian nurses were ordered into the sea. When the water reached their thighs they were shot. One nurse survived. Sister Vivian Bullwinkel gave evidence to the War Crimes Tribunal as the sole witness to the crime.

Daphne is not only remembered at Barts the Less but on the Vyner Brooke War Memorial. You can read more about the Vyner Brooke here. Although Vivian Bulwinkell was not a Barts nurse, her story is extraordinary and you can read more here.

Dorothy Muriel Stratford

Dorothy Muriel Stratford was born in 1909, the daughter of Hubert and Muriel Stratford from Derbyshire. She was one of four children. Dorothy trained at Barts Hospital and qualified as a nurse in 1935. In 1939 she was working as a nurse at Worthing Hospital. She had also joined the Territorial Army Nursing Service.

The SS Ceramic was a White Star Line cruiser that regularly sailed to Australia. In February 1940 she was commissioned as a troop ship. On 7th November 1942, she embarked from Liverpool on a voyage to Australia via St Helena and South Africa. The ship was carrying 133 civilians and over 250 naval or army personnel. There were 30 nursing sisters, among them Dorothy Stratford. As the ship entered the North Atlantic she was initially escorted by a convoy ship and then travelled alone. On the night of 7 December 1942, a single torpedo from U-515 hit the Ceramic. This was followed by several more. The ship evacuated as many people as possible into lifeboats but the weather was incredibly stormy and many boats sank.

The following morning, the German Naval High Command ordered U-515 back to the site of the Ceramic to try and establish where she had been going. It was a force 10 gale and the U boat captain could pick just one person from a lifeboat. Everyone else died at sea.

Dorothy Stratford is remembered on the Brookwood Memorial as well as at Barts. Her brother, Laurence Dacre Stratford was in the RAF and was also killed during World War Two age 20 years.