RILEY, Wayne Maurice
| Service Number: | 5411599 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) |
| Born: | Perth, Western Australia, Australia , 21 May 1947 |
| Home Town: | Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Soldier |
| Died: | Died of wounds, South Vietnam, 17 February 1967, aged 19 years |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia Section ZF Site 0150 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grafton Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Kallangur Vietnam Veterans' Place, Port Pirie Vietnam Veterans Honour Wall, Seymour Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk Roll of Honour |
Vietnam War Service
| 7 Sep 1966: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 5411599 | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1966: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 5411599, 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit, Vietnam | |
| 25 Sep 1966: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 5411599 | |
| 25 Sep 1966: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 5411599, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) | |
| 17 Feb 1967: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 5411599, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), Operation Bribie |
How I met Wayne 'Riles' RILEY
I finished School in December 1964 and my 1st job started on 4 January 1965 at the GPO (General Post Office) in Perth, Western Australia. I was employed as a Jnr Postal Officer delivering telegrams in the Perth CBD and surrounding areas. As was the practice at the time I 'shadowed' an experienced telegram boy who happened to be Wayne Maurice Riley (aka Riles). We worked together until I left in August 1965 to commence a clerical job ironically at the Dept of Army at Swan Barracks in Perth. We maintained our friendship until Riles resigned from the GPO to enlist in the Australian Army. I never saw Riles again. The next I heard of him was when, at work, I read a Telex listing him as a 'fatalcas'. It stopped me in my tracks. I couldn't believe that this chatty, noisy prankster was now a KIA statistic. I have never forgotten him.
Submitted 14 August 2024 by Mike Smith
Click images to start slideshow.