Too Late to Say Goodbye – Grave Tales

Fri 17^th Jul 1942 Kalgoorlie Miner
BOY SERIOUSLY INJURED On Warburton Ranges Track  –
LAVERTON AMBULANCE LONG TRIP

About noon yesterday the Laverton ambulance commenced a 200 miles’ trip each way along Warburton Ranges to attend a boy seriously injured when run over by a tractor trailer.

Wally Mack and John Wade (aged 13) at Mt Margaret Mission, 1942 – Taken shortly before John’s death.

The boy is John Wade, a 13 year old son of Mr and Mrs Wade, senior, missionaries at the Warburton Range mission, and his known injuries are a fractured ankle, fractured thigh, probable fracture of the knee, internal injuries and extensive bruises and lacerations. According to latest reports yesterday, he has been rendered first aid on the track by the missioners and was awaiting, in mulga stick splints, the arrival of the ambulance. He is said to be very bright and cheery and bearing up well.

Off to Warburton – Will and Iris Wade with their children John and Carol, Harry Green, Ethel and Harry Lupton, 3 Oct 1934.

The report of the accident came from the Laverton police, on information received by radio sent from the portable transmitter on the vehicle. According to it the accident occurred on Wednesday. The Warburton Range mission tractor trailer transport vehicle was en route to the mission, on a routine trip, when the boy, a passenger, was jolted from the vehicle by a bump. He fell to the track and one wheel passed diagonally over his body. Other passengers were Mr. C. E. Payne, a missionary at the Warburton and the boy’s 10 year old sister, Carol, with Mr. Wally Mack, the driver. The Laverton ambulance took Mr Syd Williams, of the Morgans mission as a guide and arrangements have been made for another vehicle to be sent to the Warburton for the boy’s parents.

Mr Will and Mrs Iris Wade – Johns parents

The West Australian 21 July 1942  –  INJURED BOY AT LAVERTON.

KALGOORLIE, July 20 1942. According to a Laverton report, John Wade (13), who was injured at Warburton last Wednesday when he was run over by a tractor trailer is now progressing satisfactorily in the Laverton hospital. He was admitted late yesterday afternoon after an ambulance ride of 200 miles. The ambulance left Laverton at 4 pm last Thursday with a driver, doctor and guide and reached the boy on Friday afternoon, commencing the return trip at 6 pm. The boy is believed to be suffering from multiple leg fractures and shock, but not internal injuries as previously believed.

Kalgoorlie Miner 26^th Aug 1942
PARENTS TOO LATE TO VISIT DYING SON

Grave of John Wade

There was a pathetic sequel to an accident which occurred on the Warburton Ranges track, 200 miles east of Laverton, when John Wade (13) died in the Laverton Hospital at 2.30 o’clock yesterday morning. Despite the critical condition of the patient, it was found very difficult to make arrangements to get the boy’s parents from the Warburton Ranges to the Laverton hospital. However, on Monday morning a motor truck left Laverton for this purpose. The vehicle was over taken 70 miles out by Constable Anderson next day, when he told the driver that the boy had died and not to proceed until advice was received by radio from the parents what to do. The parents have since instructed the truck driver to return to Laverton, as it was too late for them to do anything. The deceased will be buried at the Mt Margaret Mission cemetery, in which only mission natives have previously been buried.

Mount Margaret Mission Cemetery

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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