The Australian Women's Register

1 hour 25 minutes Betty Bradwell, nee Pyman, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She spent her early years in Hawker and came to the Adelaide High School for secondary schooling. In 1932 she began training at the Hawker Hospital, and finished at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. After appointments as staff nurse and charge nurse at the RAH, she went to Western Australia for midwifery training. Betty was called up to the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1940. In April 1941 Betty sailed with the 2/10 Australian General Hospital for Malaysia. After the withdrawal of forces from Singapore in February 1942, Betty and some of her fellow nurses reached Australia, while many of their companions suffered ship-wreck, internment, and in some cases death. Betty’s army career continued with postings to New Guinea, and in Australia. Betty married after the war and left nursing for ten years, then resumed work at the Port Adelaide Casualty Hospital until her retirement in 1974.