Vincent Harry Thornton was born at Chile, South America in 1897, though his family lived in England. He moved to Australia in 1912 when he was 16 years old to be an agriculture student. He worked as a farmer in the Rochester area of Victoria enlisting on the 2 February 1915 by putting up his age to 21. On enlistment he was assigned to the light horse. Thornton embarked with the 13th Light Horse Regiment aboard HMAT Persic on 28 May 1915. He served in Alexandria until July 1916 where he was transferred to the 1st ANZAC Light Horse Regiment. As part of this unit he served in France until January 1918 when he was selected for training as a pilot in the Australian Flying Corps. He graduated as a lieutenant in July 1918 and joined 4 Squadron, AFC. He returned to Australia in on 23 September 1919 per HMAT Ascanius and continued flying after the war. Vincent Thornton was killed when his DH 9 collided with another DH 9 during an air show as a part of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York in Melbourne, 21 April 1927.