[?]Ichard E. Vernons

[?]Ere Were Two

IE mystery of Richard E.

Vernon is solved. There

e two Richard E. Vernons,

ier and son; and in photo

phs they resemble each other.

started in June last. We pub >d a letter from Richard E. non, of Queensland, insisting t no Patrol Officer under 25 lid be allowed out on his own mnt among the more primitive r Guinea natives. He sent a bograph of himself, at the Black mine, near Wau, in 1935, which also published. lis brought a letter from Mr. 3. Monfries, of Wau. He said — e properly—that he was “dumb ided.” In 1941, he enlisted in NGVR with Richard E. Vernon, m he knew very well; Vernon ed like the man in the photo >h: and this Vernon was killed me of the first skirmishes the /R had with the Japs on the kham Road. He is listed in Lae letery, No. 2003; and a road in >lo is named in his honour. ; first, it looked as if there had i a hoax, and then we noted the Queensland man who had ten us had been a regular sub >er for many years. So we set dries afoot. And here is the yer, from Mr. Richard E. Vernon, laldwell, Q.: ly son, Richard E. Vernon, was d by the Japs in 1942, on the kham River. He and I were ing together on the Black Cat 935 and 1937. I had to return Queensland in 1938, and when broke out I was not allowed eturn, and the military would accept my services owing to my The enclosed photograph irs us celebrating Christmas on Black Cat in 1937. My son is he right; then Les Ireland, then elf, and Bob Kydd is second i the left. My kindest regards 11 the old hands.”