BLACK, Barbara Frances
| Service Number: | F35135 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 1st Australian Field Hospital |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 19 March 1946 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Nursing Sister |
| Died: | Died of Illness, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 November 1971, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Burwood General Cemetery, Victoria, Australia Lawn 19A Gr 66, Burwood General Cemetery, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Memorials: | Australian Military Nurses Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grafton Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Kallangur Vietnam Veterans' Place, Port Pirie Vietnam Veterans Honour Wall, Seymour Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk Roll of Honour |
Vietnam War Service
| 14 May 1968: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, F35135, 1st Australian Field Hospital , Rank Lieutenant | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 May 1968: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, F35135 |
A beautiful Sunday
Today, through the Macca Program on 774 ABC radio I became aware of the initiative to honour the 50 th Anniversary of Vietnam Veterans on August 3, 2023. The website vwma.org.au led me to the life of Capt Barbara Frances Black who lies at rest in Burwood Cemetery, Victoria. We drove there after breakfast today March 26,2023. Capt Black lies on a hillside looking out to the hills. A young woman of only 25 years on her passing. As a young nurse I felt the resonance with my grand aunt who was a nurse and my partners mother who nursed at Berwick hospital. Captain Black’s selfless service is deserving of honouring. I feel blessed to have found her gravesite and shall visit her at least once a year now. Blessings and gratitude and condolences to her family.
Submitted 26 March 2023 by Kath McCann
Biography contributed
F35135 Captain Barbara Frances BLACK (1946-1971)
Served at Vung Tau, 1st Field Hospital RAANC, Vietnam (1968-1969) and died of illness in Australia on 3 November 1971. She is counted as a casualty of the war; Age 25.
F35135 Lieutenant Barbara Frances Black, was a nursing sister who died of illness on the 3rd of November 1971.
Some 511 servicemen and one servicewoman died serving in Vietnam. Barbara was that sole servicewoman. She served with the First Australian Field Hospital in the Royal Australian Nursing Corps in Vang Tau, South Vietnam.
Whilst serving in Vietnam she was diagnosed with leukaemia, which was untreatable at the time. She was not told of her diagnosis but advised to seek medical advice on her return to Australia.
After returning to Australia she fell pregnant. Realising the likely outcome of her illness she discovered that benefits in the Veterans’ Entitlement Act, that might be available to her child after her death, were not the same as for male veterans. Even though she was very sick, and under treatment, she lobbied the Commonwealth Government and the Act was amended.
Barbara passed away on the 3rd of November 1971, at the age of 25, not long after the birth of her daughter. Despite dying in Australia, she is still considered to have been a casualty of war.
From the Australian Military History Facebook page. accessed 4 Nov 23
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