ANZAC Day Commemorative Issue
ANZAC Day Service
The school assembly for ANZAC Day is this Friday 23rd April at 9am at the school’s memorial next to Honour Avenue. As always, we open the event to the wider community to join with us for the special service and extend this invitation to you and your family. This year we especially want to honour any alumni who have served in the armed forces, and have a seating area set aside for these guests.
Veteran Alumni Stories
As we’ve made contact with our Alumni during our 150th year, many stories have been shared with us, including these stories of some of our veteran alumni. Many more Yeronga stories will be published in a book that will hopefully be ready for the School Fete in May. While it is too late to include extra stories in the book, stories are still gratefully accepted and will be included with memorabilia into our archives for future generations.
Kenneth Edwin Sandercoe (ne Sandercock) b. 22.06.1921- Alumni 1928-1934
Kenneth was admitted to the RAAF in 1940 as a trainee mechanic, Aircraftsman Class 1, initially working on training aircraft such as the Australian Wirraway, the Fairey Battle (which were also used as light bombers in early air battles in the Pacific), and the Tiger Moth Biplane. The bodies and wings of these aircraft were covered by cloth and then painted in a special waterproof paint called “dope”. Ken was also trained in darning techniques so that when planes returned damaged, he could repair all the splits and holes. As the Pacific war front came closer to Australia, Ken’s work extended to working with aluminium on Lockheed Hudson and Bristol Beaufort light bombers. Most of his time was then at Amberley, repairing these aircraft as well as
the larger Mitchell and Liberator medium/heavy bombers. While all his service was on Australian shores, he contributed to maintaining aircraft fit for flying for training, reconnaissance, fighting and bombing. Near war’s end Ken was discharged in April 1945 to commence studying for a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) after which he joined the federal Post Master General’s Department, retiring in 1980.
(excerpts taken from the writings on Carolyn Sandercoe, daughter of Ken Sandercoe, with references to “Wartime Experiences of Cecily Lydia Sandercock” by Cecily L. Fearnley, 2002)
Leonard Ipson b. 26.05.1924 Alumni 1932-1939 (approx.)
Leonard Ipson b. 26.05.1924 Alumni 1932-1939 (approx.)
Our oldest alumni, who cut the ribbon at Foundation Day earlier this year served in the Army from 1942 – 1946 as a specialist Ammunition Examiner. Len served in Brisbane, the Atherton Tablelands and Wallangarra destroying and disposing of unserviceable ammunition (fired but not detonated) in gunner’s training ranges.
Andrew W.G. Huston 25.12.1923 – 16.12.1944
Able Seaman Huston was a canoeist on board “M.V.Krait” for “Operation Jaywick” raid on
Singapore 1943. He was killed in action during “Operation Rimau” raid on Singapore in 1944.
Warren David Mitchell b. 01.04.1945 – 18.08.1966 Alumni – 1958.
At the age of 21, Warren Mitchell was conscripted as a National Serviceman. He arrived in Vietnam on 8 June 1966 as part of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. 72 days later he was shot and killed in action in the late afternoon in the Battle of Long Tan on Thursday 18 August. The battle took place for about three and a half hours to about 7pm, in pouring rain, in a rubber plantation called Long Tan in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, killing 18 and wounding another 24 Australians. Warren is buried at Mt Gravatt cemetery in the ANZAC section. He was later awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle of Long Tan.
(information provided by Douglas Aboud, YSS Classmate (scholarship year 1958) of Warren)
We hope to see you at our ANZAC Day service.
Yours in Celebration, Jennifer Bennett
Community Relations Officer | Yeronga 150 Committee