Shackleton Community’s Tribute to Langdon & Venemore,

‘In 1909, WH Bland and his wife settled at Cokine Spring. The first Shackleton football game was held at the Bland’s “Wirrilli” Homestead. In 1913 AWH Hills applied for a private liquor license which was subsequently dismissed due to the town not having been surveyed by the Government, although the rail from Quairading came through in 1912. Dr Jermyn undertook a private survey in 1913. He was the unofficial medical officer in the district and after war service, did not return to the district, although the main street commemorates him; Jermyn Street. In 1916, Shackleton connected to the Goldfields Water Scheme and although it was proposed for Kwolyin, the property owners through which the 25 miles of pipeline passed, objected and it was not connected in Kwolyin. Similarly, railway barracks proposed for Kwolyin were rejected and located in Shackleton. Shackleton progressed and businesses from Kwolyin moved to Shackleton. Shackleton was not gazetted unitl 26th June 1925 and then only got rating reasons. In 1947 three street names were changed to honour soldiers kelled in WWII; Irvine St to Venemore St; Strobe St to Langdon St; Smith St to Mill St.

The boundaries of the town proper were established on 21st April 1951.’

In 1947, tribute was paid to three past community members who served with armed forces and lost their lives during WW2.

The Langdon and Venemore familes farmed in North Shackleton at Erikin.  WX9292 Norm Venemore and WX9293 Ron Langdon enlisted on the same day 30th October 1940 and became drivers with ‘D’ Company, 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion.

Tragically neither men returned home.

Langdon died of cardiac beri beri at the age of 32, at Sime Road Camp, Singapore having returned with ‘H’ Force from working on Burma-Thai Railway. He was a father of two young children.

Norm Venemore perished at the age of 28 years in the South China Sea, September 1945 when his ship ‘Rakuyo Maru’  transporting POWs to Japan from Singapore, was torpedoed and sunk by Allied submarines.

The loss of life of Venemore, Langdon and Mills devastated their families and was widely felt by the Shackleton community.

Other Shackleton Boys include WX9323 Mel Hortin, who enlisted Oct 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘B’ Coy, 7 Platoon as a Scout under CO Lt Johnny Morrison.

Due to his ill health, Mel Hortin remained a POW on Singapore Island and was recovered from there at the end of war.