National Order of the Republic of Vietnam, Knight's Badge (5th Class) : Warrant Officer 2 K A Wheatley, AATTV

National Order of the Republic of Vietnam, Knight's Badge (5th Class). Unnamed as issued.

This Order was awarded to Warrant Officer II Kevin Arthur 'Dasher' Wheatley VC. Wheatley was born at Surry hills in Sydney on 13 March 1937. The son of Raymond George and Ivy Sarah Ann (nee Newman) Wheatley, he was educated at Maroubra Junction Junior Technical School. After leaving school he worked a number of labouring jobs around Sydney and married Edna Eileen Davis on 20 July 1954.

Wheatley enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 12 June 1956 and joined 4 Battalion, Royal Australia Regiment (4RAR), following training, later that year. In March 1957 he transferred to 3RAR where he saw active service in Malaya from September 1957 to July 1959. In August 1959 he transferred to 2RAR and in mid 1961 to 1RAR. He was promoted to Sergeant in January 1964 and in August to Warrant Officer Class II. He was posted to the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV), in Vietnam on 16 March 1965. For his actions in which he was killed in attempting to save a colleague during a search and destroy operation near Tra Bong in the Quang Ngai Province, Wheatley was awarded the Victoria Cross.

During his service in Vietnam, he was also awarded the United States Silver Star, the National Order of the Republic of Vietnam Knight's Badge, a Republic of Vietnam Military Merit Medal and a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

Wheatley's body was repatriated back to Australia where he was buried, with full military honours, at Pine Grove Cemetery at Eastern Creek. He was survived by his wife and four children. His medals came into the Memorial's collection in 1993.