Henry Aloysius Hanke Sister VA Torney, MBE

During World War II and the 1942 evacuation of Singapore, nurses Margaret Irene Anderson and Vera Alexandra Torney were on board the MV Empire Star and shielded wounded men with their own bodies as the ship came under attack. For this bravery, Anderson was awarded the George Medal (GM) and Torney was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE). Henry Hanke exhibited a portrait of each woman in the 1943 Archibald Prize; both works are now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

In the original Archibald 1943 catalogue listing, VA Torney appeared incorrectly as MA Thorney.