Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Reverend Wesley Ross Llewellyn

Born: 6 May 1925, Adelaide, South Australia

Died: 24 December 2009, aged 84

Buried: Centennial Park Cemetery, North East/Tree 027/001

Spouse: Joan Margaret (née Harrington) (1926–2020)

Early Life and Education

Wesley Ross Llewellyn was born on 6 May 1925 in Adelaide, South Australia, the youngest of four children of Gordon Llewellyn and Eliza Grace (née Steer). His father, a tram conductor and later dairyman, had served as a driver with the 8th Field Artillery Brigade during the First World War. Wesley spent his early years in Medindie, Adelaide, before the family relocated to Mypolonga, near Murray Bridge, where Gordon established a small dairy farm.

He was educated locally, first at Walkerville Primary School, later transferring to Mypolonga Primary and then to Murray Bridge High School. School admission records show his father listed as "dairyman" and note that Wesley left school in 1937 to pursue work before enlisting in wartime service.

World War II Service (Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1946)

Wesley enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy at Port Adelaide on 19 September 1942, aged just 17. He was given the official service number PA3216 and assigned to the Royal Australian Naval Reserve. His early training took place aboard the depot ships Cerberus and Rushcutter, after which he was posted as an Ordinary Seaman and later Able Seaman.

His service records list postings to several significant vessels, including HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Torrens, and HMAS Australia, one of the Navy's most famous cruisers. He served aboard Australia during the latter years of the Pacific War and was discharged on 20 March 1946, having achieved the rank of Able Seaman. His conduct was consistently recorded as "Very Good."

After the war, he received his War Gratuity payment and was officially demobilised on 30 May 1946.

Postwar Life and Religious Vocation

Following his naval service, Wesley felt a strong call to Christian ministry. He undertook theological studies within the Presbyterian Church, preparing for ordination. His early ministry years were spent in South Australia, and he married Joan Margaret Harrington on 12 August 1949 at Pirie Street Methodist Church, Adelaide.

Wesley and Joan's marriage would last for sixty years, marked by shared faith, service, and family life. Together they raised three children: Heather, David, and Bronwyn.

Army Chaplaincy and Malayan Emergency Service (1957–1959)

In 1957, Reverend Llewellyn joined the Australian Army Chaplain's Department, commissioned as a Chaplain 4th Class (service number 4/8040). He was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) and embarked from Sydney aboard the SS New Australia on 25 September 1957 for service in Malaya.

During the Malayan Emergency, he ministered to Australian troops stationed at Penang and Singapore, providing pastoral care and spiritual support under difficult tropical conditions. His service is recorded in the Malayan Emergency Rolls and Awards Registers, and he was awarded the General Service Medal with clasp "Malaya." He returned to Australia aboard the MV Flaminia, disembarking at Sydney on 20 October 1959.

Royal Australian Navy Chaplaincy and Vietnam Era Service (1962–1969)

Wesley continued his military ministry by transferring to the Royal Australian Navy as a commissioned Chaplain 4th Class (O2510) on 1 July 1962. His naval chaplaincy postings included service aboard a number of vessels and establishments between 1963 and 1969, as recorded in his official Appointments and Movements Register (NAA: A6769).

These included the HMA Ships Penguin, Hobart, Albatross, Supply, Sydney, Anzac, and Parramatta, as well as chaplaincy duties at naval bases in Garden Island, Jervis Bay, and Creswell. He was twice commended for his pastoral dedication, and the welfare support he provided to sailors at sea and in training establishments.

His record notes service during the Vietnam War era, and he was officially discharged on 28 April 1965, later continuing in ecclesiastical appointments with the Navy until 1969.

Parish Ministry and Civilian Service

After leaving full-time naval service, Reverend Llewellyn continued his ministry in the Presbyterian Church of Australia, later the Uniting Church, serving as parish minister in Ingleburn, New South Wales.

The Ingleburn Presbyterian Church register records his tenure beginning in 1963, where he led the congregation at 48 Lancaster Street, ministering to both the civilian and military communities in the growing Macarthur district.

Colleagues remembered him as a compassionate and articulate pastor with a deep sense of duty, both to God and to the welfare of servicemen and their families.

Later Life and Passing

In his later years, Wesley and Joan retired to South Australia, settling again near Adelaide. Joan passed away on 25 September 2020 at the age of 94, and her ashes were interred beside her husbands at Centennial Park Cemetery, North East/Tree 027/001.

Wesley died on 24 December 2009, aged 84, after a life of remarkable service to faith, family, and country. His cremation took place on 31 December 2009, with his ashes interred on 30 May 2024.

His memorial plaque reads:

"Devoted husband of Joan for 60 years. Loving father to Heather, David & Bronwyn.

A life of service to God, Country and Family.

Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and His love."

Legacy

Reverend Wesley Ross Llewellyn's life bridged both military and ministry, embodying devotion, discipline, and compassion. Serving across three major arenas — World War II, the Malayan Emergency, and the Vietnam War period — his legacy is that of a man who combined faith with service, representing the quiet strength of Australia's military chaplains through decades of change.

He is remembered in the rolls of the Australian War Memorial, the National Archives of Australia, and on the Prospect and Richmond Honour Rolls that also bear his family's name.

Sources

National Archives of Australia, Service Records:
NAA: A6769, LLEWELLYN W.R.
NAA: B883, SX3565
NAA: A9301, PA3216
Australian War Memorial, Malayan Emergency Rolls
Commonwealth War Graves and Memorials Database
The Advertiser (Death and Funeral Notices, 2009 & 2020)
Centennial Park Cemetery Records, Adelaide
Ingleburn Presbyterian Church Clergy Register
School Admission Records, Mypolonga Primary (1916–96)

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 10/10/2025

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Royal Australian Naval Reserve (World War II)

Service Number: PA3216
Enlisted: 19 September 1942, Port Adelaide, SA
Discharged: 20 March 1946
Final Rank: Able Seaman
Posting at Discharge: HMAS Australia
Conflict: World War II

Australian Army Chaplain's Department (Malayan Emergency)

Service Number: 4/8040
Rank: Chaplain 4th Class
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR)
Embarked: 25 September 1957, Sydney aboard SS New Australia
Returned: 20 October 1959 aboard MV Flaminia
Award: General Service Medal (Clasp "Malaya")
Conflict: Malayan Emergency (1948–1960)

Royal Australian Navy Chaplaincy (Vietnam War era)

Service Number: O2510
Commissioned: 1 July 1962
Rank: Lieutenant / Chaplain 4th Class
Service Period: 1962 – 1969
Postings Include:
HMAS Penguin, Supply, Hobart, Albatross, Sydney, Creswell, Anzac, Parramatta, Moorhouse
Discharged: 28 April 1965 (with subsequent postings recorded to 1969)
Conflict Associations: Vietnam War period (Royal Australian Navy operations)

Service summary by Trevor Pyatt 10/10/2025