Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John was the eldest son of Laurie and Edna Lenton, born at Semaphore on the 11th December 1946. For the first four and a half years of his life, he and his parents lived with his paternal grandparents Roy and Daisy at Largs Bay. They then moved to Broadview and John’s brothers Robert and Phillip were born.

From an early age John knew he wanted to join the Navy, however his Dad wanted him to have a trade qualification first. So John became an apprentice carpenter with what was then known as the Public Buildings Department. During his five years there he helped in the construction of a number of schools and the Modbury hospital. Meanwhile he was also a Corporal in the Citizen Military Forces, now known as the Army Reserves. On the completion of his apprenticeship he immediately sought approval from his Dad so he could join the Navy.

John served six years in the Navy from 1969 to 1975 and held the rank of Petty Officer on his separation, he served on the HMAS Duchess and HMAS Supply in engineering in the machine space, for us lay people that means he was a Stoker in the engine room.  In addition to other places he saw service in Vietnam and Muaroa Atol for the French atomic testing. While on leave he met Pauline and they were married in 1971, three years later their son Nathan was born. John paid off from the Navy in 1975 and their daughter Chontelle was born the following year. John thoroughly enjoyed Navy life and although he apparently “never left the ship” he managed to have many shore based adventures including being in the forward scouting party at Mauritious to determine where the sailors that had shore leave would go that night. When ashore at one of the local establishments he had one local rum, while returning to the ship he was lying in the bottom of the boat yet still managed to fall over board.

On the 30th September 1976 John entered the family business by joining the South Australian Police Department. John served twenty six years in general patrols, based at Holden Hill. He enjoyed frontline policing and chose not to seek promotion or transfer to other areas. It was his belief that his ability to help other people was best served by working on the coal face. I enjoyed our time together at work, he could always be relied on to be at your side and cover your back in times of crisis.

Whilst in the Police Force, John joined the Athelstone CFS, where he rose to the rank of 2IC. There came a time when John decided he was too old to be chasing fires up and down hills, so he joined the CFS Region 2 Operations Brigade at Gawler where once again he progressed through the ranks to become 2IC. In 2002 it was time for a change and John left the CFS after decades of selfless service and joined the Enfield SES, where keeping with tradition he again became 2IC. Shortly after he was asked to head up the Elizabeth SES branch. In 1998 John also became a member of the Australian Institute of Emergency Services.

(The above is an extract from John’s eulogy – 2014)

Johns father (Laurence Vernon Lenton) and his grandfather (Roy Mandeville Lenton) are also listed on this Virtual War Memorial.

As of 2015 his daughter, Chontelle Kay Scott (nee Lenton) is not listed on the Virtual War Memorial however, she has followed in the family footsteps by serving Peacekeeping Operations in the Solomon Islands.