Leigh Vial

Leigh Vial
Flight Lieutenant Leigh Vial in 1942
Born	(1909-02-28)28 February 1909 Camberwell, Victoria
Died	30 April 1943(1943-04-30) (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	Second World War New Guinea campaign
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. His calm, clear voice earned him the nickname "Man With the Golden Voice".

When war broke out with Japan in late 1941 Vial was an Assistant District Officer stationed in Rabaul.^[1]

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.^[2] He is buried in Lae War Cemetery.^[3]

References

1. Piper, Bob (August 1993). "Lonely Vigil". Wings (Australia): 9–12.
2. Gammage, Bill (2002). "Vial, Leigh Grant (1909–1943)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 16. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
3. "Vial, Leigh Grant". Casualty Details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 23 July 2017.