Leigh Vial
| Leigh Vial | |
|---|---|
 Flight Lieutenant Leigh Vial in 1942 | |
| Born |
28 February 1909 Camberwell, Victoria |
| Died |
30 April 1943 (aged 34) Benabena, Papua New Guinea |
| Buried | Lae War Cemetery |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1942–1943 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Service number | 253939 |
| Unit | Coastwatchers |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross (United States) |
Leigh Grant Vial (28 February 1909 – 30 April 1943) was an Australian patrol officer and coastwatcher in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War. While a patrol officer he became the first white person to climb Mount Wilhelm, the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea. Vial was killed in a plane crash in 1943, the year after he had been awarded the American Distinguished Service Cross for his "extraordinary heroism" in New Guinea.[1] He is buried in Lae War Cemetery.[2]
References
- ↑ Gammage, Bill (2002). "Vial, Leigh Grant (1909–1943)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 16. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
- ↑ "Vial, Leigh Grant". Casualty Details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
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