White Coolies is a 1954 memoir by Australian nurse Betty Jeffrey about her experiences in World War Two. This included surviving the sinking of the Vyner Brook, escaping a massacre, and being in a camp on Sumatra.
Background It was based on a diary she secretly kept in the camp.
Reception The book was a best seller, selling more than 70,000 copies in Australia.
The book was adapted into a hugely successful radio serial.
Radio serial
The book was adapted into a 1955 radio serial.
It was one of the most acclaimed Australian radio serials of all time. There was a mostly female cast and a female writer and director, which was rare for the time.
Cast Ruth Cracknell as Betty Jeffrey June Salter as Iole Harper Margaret Christensen as Sister Delforce Madge Ryan as Matron Paschke Joan Lander as Sister Woodbridge Diana Perryman
References
External links Complete show at Internet Archive