Dasher: The Kevin Wheatley VC Story

Description

Kevin 'Dasher' Wheatley VC is one of the most extraordinary characters in Australian history. Dasher was a husband, father, champion footballer and one of the finest soldiers this country has ever produced. The story of his sacrifice is used by the ADF as a perfect example of valour and mateship to this day. Although he is one of the most famous Victoria Cross recipients of all time, his story has never been fully told. Until now. Dasher: The Kevin Wheatley VC Story was written with first-hand accounts from Dasher's family and the men who served and fought alongside him. It tells not only the story of an unlikely lad from the mean streets of Sydney, but that of a soldier whose death devastated the ranks of three armies and changed the way Australia dealt with the overseas loss of service people forever. Everyone who met the man has a Dasher Wheatley story of larrikin behaviour, outstanding soldiering, stunning valour, or all three. Forwarded by Keith Payne VC and featuring the 2021 investiture of Dasher's American Silver Star, an award 56 years in the making, this book also investigates other gallantry awards Wheatley qualified for but was never given.

Michael C. Madden is an author and photographer. He is the founder and host of the podcast, Australia Remembers and has published a number of fiction and non-fiction titles, including The Victoria Cross - Australia Remembers. Michael had a simple childhood growing up with his three brothers on the family's struggling dairy farm in Gippsland, Victoria. He has authored four fiction novels and many short stories. Michael's latest book, Dasher, The Kevin Wheatley VC Story, is out now. He is soon to release the first in a series of children's novels called, The Stacey Casey Series, with Big Sky Publishing.