Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

This man is not on the Wooroolin WW11 Honour Board but his name is included in Grandma Lizzie Jones diary where she included names and Serial numbers of people who served in WW11 and were connected to Wooroolin.

Meryvn Leslie Denton, known as Les, enlisted in the CMF on 26 Feb 1942 at Roma giving his mother as NOK. Mervyn was not quite 20 years of age. His records show that he was 5ft 10ins tall, with green eyes, medium complexion and brown hair. He was transferred to the AIF on 31 Aug 1942

His mother moved to Wooroolin 3 months later and was the Hotel Keeper at the Grand Hotel for at least 2 years as she received and signed for the QNG star of her son Les on 27 Nov 1944 at Wooroolin.
My Dad joined the AIF in Sep 1942 and this photo was taken outside the Grand Hotel sometime soon after so Emily Denton would have been the Licensee. Of interest is that my Great Uncle Fred Jessen owned the Grand Hotel and died in Jul 1945. Perhaps this is when the hotel was sold by the Jessen family!
Les served in Darwin and New Guinea then when the war ended in Sep 1945 he stayed in the AIF and was based at Morotai from 17 Nov 1945 to 7 Feb 1946 then in Japan from 14 Feb 1946 to 1 Apr 1947.
Les was a participant in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) which marked the first time that Australians were involved in the military occupation of a sovereign nation which it had defeated in war. The entire BCOF force totalled 45,000, from Britain, India, New Zealand, and Australia. About 16,000 Australians served in BCOF. By early 1947 BCOF had begun to decline and, by the end of 1948, was composed entirely of Australians. The force was dismantled in 1952, as responsibilities in Japan were handed over to the British Commonwealth Forces Korea.
Les was discharged from the AIF on 17 Apr 1947 whilst he was living at the Imperial Hotel at Cooran. Probably his mother was the Licensee there.
By 1949 Les & his mother where living back at Roma where he married Jean Olive Jackman in 1952. Jean was the licensee of the Railway Hotel at Roma and Les was a bar attendant.
The couple left Roma about 1960 and moved to Victoria where Les was a Railway Employee. Jean died in 1977 and is buried at Geelong Western Public Cemetery,
Les lived another 40 years in Victoria. He married Annie Tingay in 1981 and lived in the Castlemaine district. He died in 2017 and is buried at Castlemaine General Cemetery where he joined Annie who died in 2003.
A message was left on the Thompson Family Funerals website by Peter Thompson.
Denton Mervyn Leslie ‘Les’, 18-5-1922 ~ 29-7-2017, passed away at Thompson House, Aged 95 years
The Son of Joseph & Emily Jane Denton (Both Dec)
The Loving Husband of Annie (Dec)
The Step-father to Vivienne (Dec), Lynette & Janice
Father-in-law to Mick, Peter & Fred
Pa Denton to Adam & Kristine; Jenelle, Mark & Matthew; Kristy & Belinda; Deanne & Amy; Michelle & Families
Great Pa to 24
Fondest memories, will be missed by all, a true gentleman and a great friend
XXXXX

Lest We forget