Grantlee Kieza’s new book, Ellen Savage and the Heroes of AHS Centaur, revisits one of Australia’s sad wartime tragedies—the torpedoing of the hospital ship Centaur off Brisbane in 1943—and pays poignant tribute to the nurses who perished. Of the twelve nurses aboard, only Sister Ellen Savage survived, and her story anchors this powerful narrative of courage, loss, and national grief. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 died, including 63 of the 65 army personnel.

Kieza’s account foregrounds the human toll of the attack, especially the nurses who were killed in their bunks when the Japanese submarine struck without warning. The book explores their dedication to duty, the brutal nature of their deaths, and the impact on Australia’s wartime psyche. Savage’s survival—despite broken ribs and a punctured lung—becomes a symbol of resilience, but the book does not shy away from the horror of the event. Through archival detail and emotional storytelling, Kieza restores the names and faces of the lost nurses to public memory, ensuring they are remembered not just as victims, but as heroes who died in service.

Ellen Savage was awarded the prestigious George Medal for her remarkable bravery, and 66 years later, some of those she saved would witness the discovery of the Centaur's wreckage on the ocean floor, bringing its story of hope and heroism full circle - one of the most inspiring in Australia's history.