Second Lieutenant Frank Bernard Wearne VC
“More than ten months after Wearne received his injuries , he was passed fit for general service despite having limited use in his right hand and fingers”
Slightly built, bespectacled and often sporting a worried frown, Bernard Wearne was an unlikely war hero. Yet in the heat of battle, his leadership skills were matched only by his incredible displays of courage. It is little wonder that he was so respected by his comrades and that he was ultimately decorated with Britain and the Commonwealth’s premiere award for valour in the presence of the enemy: the Victoria Cross. I am delighted to be the proud custodian of Wearne’s medal group having purchased it at a Spink auction in London in 1997. Frank Bernard Wearne was born in Kensington, west London, on March 1, 1894. The second of four brothers, he was the son of Frank Wearne, a wine merchant, and his wife Ada (née Morris). With his father also called Frank, Wearne was always known by his second Christian name, often abbreviated to ‘Bernie’. For much of his early years, his family lived in Worcester Park on the border of southwest London and Surrey. Wearne attended Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire from 19…
