~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Military Service History~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Service Number:--- 501253
Enlisted:--- 1 July 1942.
Service Branch:--- Royal Australian Airforce, RAAF.
Last Rank:--- Sister (Nursing Service)
Last Unit:--- Second Medical Air Evacuation and Transport Unit
Born:--- Leeton, New South Wales, Australia, 3 March 1916.
Home Town:--- Narrandera, Narrandera, New South Wales
Civilian Employment:--- Trained Nurse
Last Unit:--- No. 1 Medical Air Evacuation Unit.
Fate:--- Aircraft Accident (No. 33 Squadron Dakota aircraft A65-54 (VH-CUP)), New Britain, 15 November 1945, Aged 29 Years.
Burial:--- Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
Parents:---Thomas Ah Sheah and Josephine May Shing married 1910 Cootamundra.
Memorials:--- Australian Military Nurses Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital Memorial Rose Garden
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Additional Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a flight from Jacquinot to Rabaul on 15 November 1945, Dakota A65-54 crashed into the jungle in New Britain at about 0920 hours at position 05.12S 151.52E and all 27 people on board were killed. The aircraft impacted about 150 feet below the crest of a 7,000 mountain in dense jungle and it took rescue parties several days to reach the scene. On board A65-54 were:
Crew
Flight Sergeant Douglas Albert Bruderlin (444773) (Wireless Operator)
Flight Lieutenant Ronald Alexander Hanrahan (423723) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Grahame Patrick Lobwein AFC (404723) (Co-Pilot)
Passengers
Sepoy Abdullah Jan (9508) (Indian Army) (14th Punjab Regiment)
Lieutenant Leonard Henry Beard (V196067) (8 Movement Control Group)
Leading Aircraftman Norman Harold Blake (431713) (112 Mobile Fighter Control Unit)
Leading Aircraftman Stanley William Bridge (69362) (No. 313 Radar Station)
Seaman David Thomas Bristow (PM8156) (RAN) (HMAS Bangalow)
Sepoy Chain Singh (17649) (Indian Army) (12th Frontier Force Regiment)
Major Laurence Balerno Cunningham (SX25194) (5 Base Sub Area AEME)
Leading Aircraftman Hugh Cushing (419913) (No. 112 Mobile Fighter Control Unit)
Sepoy Dina Nath (7381) (Indian Army) (17th Dogra Regiment)
Private Ronald Arthur Evans (VX78437) (10 Field Bakery Platoon AASC)
Lieutenant William Reaburn Grieve (VX135784) (18 Advanced Ordnance Depot)
Sepoy Gustasab Khan (17600) (Indian Army) (14th Punjab Regiment)
Naik Hamir Singh (11928) (Indian Army) (12th Frontier Force Regiment)
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dennis Hannon (SX11016) (1 Australian Army Dental Corps)
Lieutenant John Lisle Honey (RAN) (HDML 1354)
Sepoy Lakhu Ram (12148) (Indian Army) (12th Frontier Force Regiment)
Warrant Officer II Clive Frederick Martin MID (NX157274) (1 New Guinea Infantry Battalion)
Leading Aircraftman Maurice James Mills (137163) (No. 311 Radar Station)
Sepoy Muzaffar Ali (6786) (Indian Army) (14th Punjab Regiment)
Havildar Munshi (4406) (Indian Army) (17th Dogra Regiment)
Major Lionel Charles Saunders MID (VX20272) (HQ 1 Australian Army)
Sister Verdun Bernice Sheah (501253) (RAAF Nursing Service) (No. 1 Medical Evacuation Unit)
Sepoy Shiv Singh (18182) (Indian Army) (1st Punjab Regiment)
Lance Naik Sikandar Khan (12053) (Indian Army) (12th Frontier Force Regiment)

Her remains were recovered and buried at Rabaul War Cemetery and Memorial.

Memorials: Australian Military Nurses Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital Memorial Rose Garden, Kapunda Dutton Park Memorial Gardens Nurses Plaques, Leeton Mountford Park WW2 Memorial, Narrandera WW2 War Memorial.

Cenotaph here