Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Vernon was born 12 September 1922 at Sister Hendry’s Burwood Nursing Home, Stevenson St, Nailsworth. He attended Nailsworth Primary School and Nailsworth Secondary School. He was then apprenticed as a sheetmetal worker at Alwyn Fisher Ltd in Adelaide.

Vernon married Veronica Reidy on 7th March 1942 at Rosary Church, Prospect and their first child David was born on 23 December 1942. Vernon was working at Alwyn Fisher when he enlisted in the RAAF on 4th May 1943. He was appointed as a Motor Cyclist (despatch rider) and on 2nd August 1943 was stationed at the Postal Unit in Adelaide. On 22 August 1944 he was attached to 2 Squadron and in January 1945 he was posted to Hughes Field Northern Territory, where the squadron was located. The squadron was transferred to Jacquinot Bay, New Britain and Vernon embarked on 21st April 1945, on board the “Bontekoe”, a Dutch KPN merchant vessel. It arrived in Jacquinot Bay on 9 May 1945 and the men were disembarked in landing barges, in drizzling rain. On 10 June 1945, they embarked on the “Joseph E Fellows” and arrived at Morotai on 18 June 1945. There was an air raid on 22 June and on 23 June they disembarked.

There was a Japanese infiltration on the night of 3 July, on 7 July they reboarded and on 9 July 1945, the “Joe Fellows” sailed in convoy for Balikpapan. The convoy arrived on Saturday 14 July and the troops disembarked on 21 July and made camp at Sepinggan Airstrip, in preparation for the arrival of the squadron aircraft.

On the night of 23rd July 1945, Vernon  was on Airfield Defence duty at Batakan Ketjil waterhiole. At approximately 7.15am, the camp was attacked by a small party of Japanese soldiers, who were wiped out by Vernon and the other guards armed with Bren guns.

On 14 August 1945 the Japanese formally surrendered.

Vernon left Balikpapan in a Catalina on 30 October 1945, which flew to Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Brisbane. On 7 November he left Brisbane by train, bound for Adelaide. He was discharged on 12 March 1946.