Description
Efficiency Medal, GVI, bar Australia, Australia WW2 War Medal, QX5266 Driver Victor Thomas Simpson, Australian Infantry Force, Motor Ambulance Convoy during WW2.
Efficiency Medal officially engraved: “QX5266 DVR V.T. SIMPSON A.I.F.”
War Medal officially impressed: “QX5266 V.T. SIMPSON.”
Award of the Efficiency Medal, announced in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 24th January 1946 reading:
“Award of the Australia Efficiency Medal:
Driver Victor Thomas Simpson, 2nd/4th Australian Motor Ambulance Convoy, Australian Army Service Corps.”
Also entitled to the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal and the Australian Service Medal 1939-45 for overseas service.
Victor Thomas Simpson was born on 25th December 1906 in St Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. To Thomas and Mary M Simpson.
He was educated from 1914 at West End Boys State School in Queensland.
During WW2, he enlisted on 27th May 1940 at Kelvin Grove, Queensland, living in West End.
In Peacetime he had worked as a Tram Conductor, so Motor Ambulance does seem like a good fit for him in the Army.
He served overseas with the A.I.F. leaving Sydney on 26th December 1940, to arrived in the Middle East on 1st February 1941.
He saw service at “Gaza Ridge” in early 1941.
On 8th April 1941 he “Embarked Alexandria for service in Greece.”
He then saw more service in the “Middle East”, taken on strength as Hospital Personell of the 8th Australian Hospital on 28th June 1941.
Served with the Australian Hospitals and the 4th Motor Ambulance copmany from around 28th June 1941 until 26th January 1943.
He saw further overseas service from October 1943 until January 1944.
But was then invalided home with Retinal Detachment, after some time in hospital he was discharged as medically unfit for active service.
He served until 15th July 1944 when he was discharged, but remained with the Army, to earn his Efficiency Medal during 1946.
Worked and lived for many years as a Tram Conductor in Kurilpa, Griffith, Queensland.
He later died aged 68 on 20th August 1975 in Brisbane, Queensland.
