Vernon Lyall DIBBS

Vernon Lyall DIBBS Update Details

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DIBBS, Vernon Lyall

Service Numbers:	354, N75406
Enlisted:	2 March 1916, Liverpool, New South Wales
Last Rank:	Captain
Last Unit:	Area Staff
Born:	Burwood, New South Wales, 25 June 1896
Home Town:	Mosman, Municipality of Mosman, New South Wales
Schooling:	Fort Street School and Sydney Grammar School
Occupation:	Clerk
Died:	Natural causes, Sydney, New South Wales, 28 November 1969, aged 73 years
Cemetery:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:	Mosman Rowing Club Great War Roll of Honour, Mosman St. Clements Anglican Church Great War Roll of Honour, Mosman War Memorial, Sydney Grammar School WW1 Honour Board

2 Mar 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 354, Liverpool, New South Wales
13 May 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 354, 36th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: ''
13 May 1916:	Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 354, 36th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney
12 Aug 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 36th Infantry Battalion
25 Jan 1917:	Wounded Second Lieutenant, 36th Infantry Battalion, Gas
4 Aug 1917:	Discharged AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 36th Infantry Battalion

24 Jun 1940:	Enlisted Captain, N75406, Area Staff, Paddington, New South Wales
24 Jun 1940:	Enlisted N75406
29 Apr 1943:	Discharged Captain, N75406, Area Staff

Biography contributed by John Edwards

"...The Division had been given a ‘quiet’ sector but the Western Front exacted its toll regardless. In January 1917, Dibbs was alerted that his brother, manning frozen trenches in front of Houplines, had been badly wounded.

At 2pm on the 22nd January the enemy put down a heavy barrage on the 36th Battalion front. Vern was in the front line commanding a platoon of “D” Company. The 5.9 [inch] shell struck a gas cylinder and Vern and his platoon “copped the lot.” A number of Vern’s men died and the remainder were incapacitated.

I borrowed a Daimler from HQ and went over to the 9th Field Ambulance near Houplines. A large room was filled with coughing, spluttering dying Australians. Most of them had an ashen-greenish look and Vern was obviously in a bad way.
The battalion lost 11 killed, 4 missing and 36 wounded as the German army shelled – then raided – the Australian trenches. 2nd Lieutenant Vernon Dibbs was evacuated to England..." - READ MORE LINK (mosman1914-1918.net)

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