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His DFC citation is as follows:
Flight Lieutenant Shearn joined 77 squadron on 19 December 1952 and since that date has flown 157 missions. For the greatest part of his tour, his appointment has been that of Flight Commander. This officer has planned and led many successful attacks against the enemy. The thorough manner in which he has assessed every detail of the impending raid has enabled his formations to hit heavily defended targets with the minimum of loss. On the 5th June 1953, this officer planned and led an attack by 16 aircraft against an anti-aircraft training battalion, far into enemy territory. The target consisted of nine 76mm anti-aircraft guns, three heavy machine guns, and a considerable quantity of small arm weapons and 32 buildings. Flight Lieutenant Shearn personally selected as his target the anti-aircraft pits and attacked them first with such success that the remaining 15 aircraft attacked the target and evaded without any aircraft receiving damage. The final assessment revealed that 30 buildings and several gun emplacements had been destroyed. Flight Lieutenant Shearn’s eagerness to fly on operations has been a fine example and inspiration to his fellow pilots and reflects great credit on himself and the Royal Australian Air Force. [LG 6/10/1953 p 5319].

VIV Shearn was to see action in World War II and later in Korea, rising to the rank of Wing Commander and regarded as an outstanding RAAF pilot.

He was born to Western Australian politician Harry and Emily Shearn. Harry was a long-time independent in WA’s Legislative Assembly.

Viv enlisted in Perth in 1940 and went through the usual pilot training in Australia, Canada and the UK.

He learned to fly Spitfires with the RAF and was posted to RAAF 457 Squadron. The squadron was based on the Isle of Man and continued training as well as conducting patrols over the Irish Sea.

By March 1942, after its British ground crew had been replaced by Australians, it moved back to England and began bomber escorts and aggressive patrols over German territory in France and Belgium.

The squadron scored some successes against German fighters and bombers even though its Spitfires were considered to be outclassed by the German Fw109s that had recently come into operation.

In the months following the first Darwin bombing raids by the Japanese in February 1942 Viv was among pilots recalled for the defence of Australia. He was a foundation member of the RAAF 77 Squadron which was formed in his home state on a field that is now Perth Airport.

He was retrained in Curtis P40 Kittyhawks and was kept busy with escorts and strike missions in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

In 1944 he was recalled from Goodenough Island and posted as a test and ferry pilot to No 1 Aircraft Depot at Laverton in Victoria.

The 77 Squadron finished up after the war as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan and was about to return home to Australia when the Korean War broke out in 1950. The squadron was transferred to become part of the United Nations forces in South Korea.

Viv returned to the squadron, now flying Gloster Meteor jets, in 1952.
He was kept busy in action in what is now a largely forgotten war flying 163 missions. He became a Flight Commander, and now planned and led many attacks. His meticulous planning and strategies enabled him to hit heavily defended targets with minimum losses.

In June 1953 he planned an attack of 16 aircraft against an anti-aircraft training battalion deep in enemy territory and personally took out anti-aircraft guns enabling the flight to achieve the rest of its mission without loss. He received a Distinguished Flying Cross for the action.

There were 60 RAAF aircraft losses, mainly from ground fire, during the war, and last year, before his death, Viv remained mystified by the disappearance of a fellow 77 Squadron officer and good mate Don Hillier, who flew his Gloster Meteor on a mission and disappeared without trace or witness. He hoped Hillier’s remains might one day be repatriated as relations warmed with North Korea.

After returning from Korea he was involved in aircraft research and development, including at Woomera. In the 1960s he joined 11 Squadron flying Neptunes. He retired in 1969 as a Wing Commander, having flown 59 different aircraft types in his 29-year-career. His many decorations included the DFC and in 1963 he was awarded the Air Force Cross for his wartime service, research and development work and three-year tour with RAAF 11 Squadron.

He followed his RAAF service with a 20-year career in finance management, based in Adelaide. In 1983 the politician’s son found time to enter politics, as a Burnside Council councillor and after three terms serving under different mayors, Viv put his name forward and was elected Mayor in 1991.

Published in the Tributes Section of Adelaide Advertiser - Saturday, 12 January 2019

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