Pte Beryl Todd (Bulford)
NFX148038
On the 2nd March 1943, Beryl answered the call for trained nursing personnel and joined the Australian Army Medical Womens Service.
And as the war was drawing to close, Beryl was assigned to the staff of Colonel Starr, who was taking a specialist team with the 2/5 Australian General Hospital, on overseas duties.
And on the 17 th March 1945, aboard the S.S.John Hope, set sail for Morotai Island.
The hospital was established on the southern side of the Island, while at the same time the Imperial Japanese Forces held the northern end, a distance of about twenty miles.
It is estimated that over one thousand troops were treated during this time.
On the 2nd November 1945, Beryl was one of twenty eight nurses, taken off the island aboard a Liberator Bomber, bound for Melbourne.
The plane was diverted to Darwin to refuel, but unfortunately, crashed on take off for the trip to Melbourne. Fortunately there were no causalities.
Beryl was discharged on the 5th March 1946.
Acknowledgment:
This information, and the following photos were kindly loaned by Beryl, with her permission to copy and reproduce such material, on the 2/5 Australian General Hospital Memorabilia Disk and Unit Website.
Joan Ferguson, Beryl Todd, Lauren Wright, Marion Larnach