Wilfrid Heron

Wilfrid Heron
Personal information
Full name Wilfrid Ledlie Heron
Date of birth (1894-07-20)20 July 1894
Place of birth Brighton, Victoria
Date of death 1 July 1942(1942-07-01) (aged 47)
Place of death SS Montevideo Maru, near Philippines
Original team(s) Melbourne Grammar
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1913–14 University 23 (5)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1914.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Wilfrid Ledlie Heron (20 July 1894 – 1 July 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played with University in the Victorian Football League in 1913 and 1914.[1]

Wilfrid Heron was born in Brighton, the second child of the prominent banker Herbert Ledlie Heron and Lilian Jessie Howard. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School[2] before commencing employment with the pastoral company Dalgety & Co.[3] During this period he played football for University and after a goalless first season in 1913, scored five goals during the 1914 VFL season. A career highlight was scoring two goals against a strong Essendon side in Round 2.[4]

He enlisted to serve shortly after the commencement of World War I, having already spent several years serving in the Army Reserve.[5] He was Mentioned in Despatches for “various acts of conspicuous gallantry during May/Jane 1915 at Gallipoli“ before he was shot and lost his right eye.[6] He was invalided home but later returned to serve in France, was injured again, and then served in England as Adjunct at a Training Unit for the rest of the war.[7]

After the war he became a plantation owner at Rabaul in Papue New Guinea.[8] He married Madge Laurence Clapin in June 1929 but she died in January 1933, shortly after the birth of their daughter.[9] In November 1934 he married Audrey May Clapperton[10] and he continued to manage the Tovakundum Estate plantation in Rabaul, making frequent trips back to Melbourne.

He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese after the Battle of Rabaul (1942). He subsequently died as a civilian prisoner of war when the SS Montevideo Maru, an unmarked POW ship, was sunk by a US submarine.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Bas Publishing. p. 389. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
  2. ↑ "Melbourne Church of England Grammar School Team". Referee. Sydney, Australia. 18 December 1912. p. 12.
  3. ↑ "CAREERS OF THE FALLEN". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 15 May 1915. p. 12.
  4. ↑ "FOOTBALL". The Argus. Victoria, Australia. 4 May 1914. p. 6.
  5. ↑ "Discovering Anzacs: Wilfrid Ledlie Heron". National Archives of Australia.
  6. ↑ Cullen, Barbara (2015). Harder than football : league players at war. Richmond, Victoria: Slattery Media Group. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-9923791-4-8.
  7. ↑ "LIEUTENANT W. L. HERON". Bendigo Advertiser. Victoria, Australia. 24 November 1916. p. 5.
  8. ↑ "RABAUL". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 26 November 1932. p. 13.
  9. ↑ "Family Notices". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 27 January 1933. p. 1.
  10. ↑ "WEDDING". Daily Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 3 December 1934. p. 4.
  11. ↑ "Casualty Details: Wilfrid Ledlie Heron". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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