READ, Valentine Colin
| Service Number: | QX5039 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 October 1939 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/5th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Drayton, Queensland, Australia, 7 February 1911 |
| Home Town: | Tewantin, Sunshine Coast, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Injuries (Accident), Howell's Creek, Cowra, New South Wales, Australia , 31 August 1944, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cowra War Cemetery, NSW Plot D Row D Grave 16 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Tewantin War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 22 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Lieutenant, QX5039 | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lieutenant, QX5039 | |
| 31 Aug 1944: | Involvement Lieutenant, QX5039, 2nd/5th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Valentine Colin Read's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by David Barlow
The AWM online collection has a series of photos covering the Funeral held in Cowra of NX177735 Private Colin Walter Jones, VX94193 Private Norman Brian Young and VX94272 Private Geoffrey Donald Boyle, all of the 19th Australian Infantry Training Battalion.
They were killed on the 31 August 1944 along with their instructor, QX5039 Lieutenant Valentine Colin Read, while engaged in field firing exercises at Howell's Creek, south east of Cowra, by the premature explosion of a mortar bomb.
At the coronial enquiry held at Cowra on 13 September 1944, it was recorded that the deaths were not caused by neglect of any persons involved in the incident.
Lieutenant Read QX5039 had previously served in the Mediterranean campaign (1941 / 1942) and in New Guinea (1943) with the 2/5th Australian Infantry Battalion, 17th Australian Infantry Brigade
Click images to start slideshow.