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Vhere Walter Brain - Information

Vhere was a grandson of William and Sarah Brain, English migrants who eventually settled in the Camden area. Vhere was born to James and Katherine Brain in Kangaroo Valley c1894. His parents then relocated to Kyogle near Richmond River. When the war began, Vhere was living with his family and working as a teamster. The war would have a significant impact on the Brain family. In July 1915, Vhere’s cousin, Percy Brain enlisted and left for war. Vhere travelled to Lismore to sign up on the 11th of April 1916. The following month, he was posted as a Private to the 15th Reinforcements, 25th Battalion. While he was training, Vhere would have been told that his cousin was missing in action during the Battle of the Somme. He was then sent overseas from Brisbane on the 7th of September 1916 upon the HMAT Clan McGillivray.

Vhere set down in Plymouth, on the 2nd of November. He was presently transported to France, where he joined the 25th Battalion in mid December. At the time, life in the trenches was miserable with the bitter winter rains, which turned the trenches into pools of mud. The 25th Battalion spent most of 1917 in defence positions in a quiet section of the lines, however, Vhere soon reported sick on the 11th of August. While he was away, he was charged with being absent from roll call twice. He rejoined his unit on the 20th of October, as they were engaged in heavy fighting during the Third Battle of Ypres. A few days after arriving in the battle zone, Vhere was caught in a mustard gas attack on the 29th of October. He was in a dug out asleep when the gas shell hit. Wanting to stay in the fight, he remained in the lines. However, he reported to an aid post two days later. He was taken to No. 1 South African Hospital in Abbeville, with an irritated laryngeal and bronchial infection. His condition declined, and on the 10th of November, he was evacuated to England to Exeter War Hospital. On the 10th of January 1918, he was sent back to Australia due to the gas poisoning and neurasthenia.

Vhere returned to his family in Kyogle. He then remarkably enlisted in the army during the Second World War, (QX17318). He left Australia to fight the Japanese with the 2/15th Infantry Battalion as a Lance Corporal. Sadly, having survived the war to end all wars, Vhere was killed in action on the 22nd of September 1943 in New Guinea. Vhere was buried in the Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea.