Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I met Victor McMellon as a child during WW2.
We called him Wick.

During 1941 and 1942, when I was a 7-8 year old child, I moved from my family on Eyre Peninsula to stay with my Aunty Marjorie and Uncle Toby Cadd on their farm, Wattle Bray Farm, at Ajery, near Moonta, Yorke Peninsula.
I was to be company for my cousin, Peggy Thyer (nee Cadd).

During this time, Wick was their farm hand.
The farm had horses. I was riding a chestnut horse called Ginger and I couldn't ride at all yet. The horse bolted and I was at risk of being thrown from the horse.
Wick was driving a trolley with two horses (one horse was called Nugget).
Wick managed to drive his horses and trolley up beside me and grabbed the horse and lifted me down and saved my life!

Wick used to both mend and make leather horse harness.

Later when Wick was serving in the army, (I always thought this was in Papua New Guinea) he sent me a little ring with two little hearts on it. He said that another soldier carved it out of some metal from the propellor of a plane. As I write this (1/4/24) I am now a 90 year old woman. I have passed the ring down to one of my grand-daughter's Jacqui Mason. She has promised to pass it down to her eldest daughter.

Also, Wick sent me some Japanese money in the form of notes. He thought that it would be the currency if Australia was taken over by Japanese and that I might need it.

In 1959 I was married and had my first child. I had been living in a flat at Mitcham and was ready to move the following day to Port Augusta. Everything was packed and all the furniture was stacked on the front verandah. Wick and his 12 year old sokhem inside. Instead, we chatted on the verandah. I really regret that I didn't ask him inside. This is one of the few regrets that I have in my life, as he was such a nice person and he had saved my life when I was a child.