Bangka Island, 1942. Vivian Bullwinkel was just 26 when Japanese soldiers marched her and her fellow nurses into the shallow waters of a remote beach to be executed.

Miraculously, Vivian would be the lone survivor - and she committed the rest of her life to an exceptional career caring for others. The lieutenant-colonel would also be the first woman to be honoured with a statue at the Australian War Memorial - a country girl who became one of the highest ranking women in the Australian army.

When Japanese forces attacked Singapore, Vivian and 64 other nurses were ordered to evacuate, but soon their ship was bombed by enemy aircraft. Somehow, Vivian lived, and for the next three and a half years she was a prisoner of war in brutal Japanese camps where she helped others survive the horror.

When peace was restored, Vivian became a giant of Australian nursing - and a key driver of Operation Babylift. For her extraordinary bravery and service, Vivian was awarded numerous honours, but she never forgot her fallen colleagues, living her life in tribute to them.