CYRIL GORDON ‘GORDON’ VINEY

Born

On 7 February 1921 at Burnie.

Connection to South Riana

Worked in South Riana.

Parents

Henry Llewellyn VINEY and Marion Elizabeth ELPHINSTONE who were married on 7 May 1908 at Blythe.

Siblings

Coral Edith 1908 – 1987

Keitha Marion Doreen 1910 – 1982

Marjorie Gwendoline 1913 – 1997

Hilda Isla Kezia 1915 – 1978

Leah Jessie 1918 – 1945

Joan Kathleen 1920 - 2014

Died

On 25 November 1942, aged 21 and is buried at Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery. The personal inscription on his headstone says “FOR LOVE OF HIS FELLOW MEN”.

His name is also commemorated on the headstone of his parents at Ulverstone.

School Records

Enrolment #459 at Penguin, by his mother Marion Viney, employed in Domestic Duties and living at Carmentown, 1 ½ miles from the school. Cyril (enrolled under the name Gordon Cyril) began P in 1928, then proceeded to P2 in 1929, III in 1930, IV in 1931, V in 132 and VII in both 1934 and 35.He passed the Compulsory Standard and left school in September 1935.

Military Records

He enlisted in Brighton on 12 February 1941 listing his sister Hilda Boon of Carmentown as his next of kin. He had previously been employed as a farm labourer. His Service number was TX5169 and he was appointed to 7 Aust Div Salvage Unit. He died of an injury – his file reads ‘fractured scull (sic) result of accident on 25 November 1942’ A Court of Enquiry on 20 May 1943 found that he died ‘ by being struck by a package from the air by an Allied transport plane’ and  that ‘the deceased was on duty at the time of the accident’.

First photograph courtesy of Sally Cotterell (on display at South Riana Memorial Hall). Second photograph from his Military file (enlarged).  Photograph of headstone from Commonwealth War Graves site.