Ada Joyce Bridge (1907 - 1942)

Ada Joyce Bridge was born on 6th July 1907 in Stoney Creek, Belltrees, via Scone, New South Wales, Australia. She was the only daughter of William Bridge and Ada Thurlow, ^[1] and the great great granddaughter of Joseph Bridge and Betty Buffey, convicts who arrived in New South Wales in 1806 on board the Fortune and the Alexander, respectively. Stoney Creek was about 30kms from Scone in the Upper Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. She and her brother, Leslie, rode their horses about five kilometres to the public school at Belltrees until they reached sixth class. The outdoor life tanned her skin and emphasised her brown eyes and short brown hair. Those who knew Joyce at this time described her as a happy girl, who enjoyed her life to the full. She had a ready smile which often turned into an infectious chuckle. ^[2]

Joyce commenced her nursing training on 1st February 1930 at St Luke's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney and upon completion of her course on 23rd May 1934 was registered as a nurse. She obtained employment with Toshack’s Nursing Agency based in Kings Cross, providing private nursing.^[2] Toshack's was commenced by former Boer War nurse, Sister Janet Toshack. ^[3]

Joyce's father passed away in 1938 at Scone, aged 68 years. Her mother continued to live at Scone, cared for by Joyce's brother, now married.

On 8th April 1941, Joyce was commissioned into the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) and attached to the 113th Australian General Hospital (AGH), Concord, New South Wales. On 19th August 1941, upon transfer to the Second Australian Imperial Force, she was posted to the 2/13th AGH, then deploying to Johor, Malaya. She embarked aboard the Wanganella, arriving on 15th September 1941. ^[4] After a series of strategic withdrawals in the face of the advancing Imperial Japanese Army in December 1941-January 1942, the hospital re-located onto Singapore Island. However, the inevitable was coming as the Japanese closed in and ammunition, food and water, and medical supplies depleted. Eventually, the general staff agreed to evacuate the Australian nurses. Along with 64 other Australian nurses and many civilians, including women and children, Joyce was evacuated from Singapore on 12th February aboard the ill-fated Vyner Brooke. The ship was discovered by the Japanese as it was entering the Bangka Strait two days later, bombed and strafed repeatedly, and sank in twenty minutes. After many hours in the water drifting with the strong current, Mary was washed up on Radji Beach, Bangka Island, Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia). ^[5]

Along with twenty fellow nurses, Joyce was murdered – gunned down in the back – by Japanese soldiers on 16th February 1942 on what has become known as the Bangka Island Massacre.

Ada Joyce Bridge's name is located at panel 96 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ^[6] at Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore, ^[7] on the Australian Military Nurses Memorial, Pialba, Hervey Bay, Queensland, and on the Vyner Brooke Tragedy Memorial, Melville, Western Australia. ^[2]

The Scone & District Country Womens Institute dedicated its Baby Health centre and Assembly Hall to Joyce at its opening in 1954. A photo of Joyce and her medals still hang in the centre. ^[2]

In 1989, Joan Crouch published a small book entitled One Life is Ours: the story of Ada Joyce Bridge. In the foreward, fellow nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel recalled "... our respect, esteem and affection grew daily for Joyce’s commitment, skills and dedication. Joyce faced every crisis with cheerfulness and fortitude ... One cannot but feel resentment and so very sorry that such a young, lovely and defenceless Australian Nurse, wearing a Red Cross Armband, was murdered in such a cruel and calculated way. A young woman who had so much to give the community and humanity ..." ^[2]