Service: Army 19 Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps
Service number: V382973
Locality on Enlistment: Olangolah East
Duration of Service: 14 Jun 1942 – 21 Sep 1945
Prisoner of War: No
Honours: None for display
Date and Place of Birth: 18 May 1908 Colac
Parents: George Francis GROVE and Amelia Maud SMITH
Spouse: Caroline Pearl GRAHAM
School/s:
Occupation: Labourer
Date and Place of Death: 30 Oct 2004 St Albans Park
Place of Burial: Mount Duneed Cemetery
NOTES:
The Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) was established in July 1940 by the RSL and was initially composed of ex-servicemen who had served in WW1. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War, the VDC membership was open to men aged between 18 and 60, including those working in reserved occupations. The government took over control of the VDC in May 1941, and gave the organisation the role of training in guerrilla warfare, collecting local intelligence and providing static defence of each unit’s home area. As the perceived threat to Australia declined the VDC’s role changed from static defence to operating anti-aircraft artillery, coastal artillery and searchlights. Wikipedia
Dawn Peel describes activities of the Colac and South Dreeite-Irrewillipe VDC platoons in the Stoney Rises, Otways and across the plains from Geelong in her book Colac 1939-1945; wartime in a country community.