The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Rendering mines safe and bomb disposal rating's qualification badge showing a red embroidered vertically aligned bomb on a black wool ground. The embroidery is backed with black cotton twill. Introduced in the RAN in January 1943.
Born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1918, Victor Peace Sotheren entered the Royal Australian Navy on 4 May 1936 and trained at Flinders Naval Depot (HMAS Cerberus) in Victoria. He was assigned the service number 21059. In December he joined the crew of HMAS Australia as an ordinary seaman. He was promoted able seaman at the end of 1937. In August 1938 he was posted to HMAS Sydney where he remained until the end of January 1939. This was followed by a posting to HMAS Hobart between June 1939 and April 1941.
Sotheren married his childhood sweetheart, Noreen Valma Sutton, while he was on leave in Sydney on 12 January 1941, at St Anne's Church, Ryde.
In October 1941 Sotheren was sent to Singapore to join the crew of the destroyer HMAS Vampire. He survived the sinking of the ship by the Japanese, off Ceylon on 9 April 1942. After his return to Australia Sotheren served in HMAS Koopa from the end of 1942, HMAS Kanimbla in 1946 and HMAS Barwon in 1947-48, as well as in various shore establishments. He was discharged from the RAN in February 1949.
Sotheren was a qualified torpedo man. He later qualified as a specialist in rendering mines safe and bomb disposal, and may also have qualified as a clearance diver.
Navy diver's qualification badge showing a red embroidered diver's helmet on a black wool ground. orn in Sydney, New South Wales in 1918, Victor Peace Sotheren entered the Royal Australian Navy on 4
Leading torpedo man's qualification badge showing crossed torpedoes surmounted by a six pointed star, embroidered with gold bullion thread on a black wool ground. The embroidery is backed by a patch o
Black wool rectangular badge with a convex upper edge, embroidered in the centre, in red embroidery cotton, with crossed torpedoes, and a harpoon attached to a coil of rope. The badge is backed with b
Seven red cotton embroidered service chevrons, for the years 1939-1945 inclusive, on a black wool ground. Born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1918, Victor Peace Sotheren entered the Royal Australian
Leading Seaman's rank badge showing a red embroidered fouled anchor on a black wool ground. The embroidery is backed with a patch of brown linen. Born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1918, Victor Peac
Heart shaped rose gold locket suspended from a gold bar brooch pin. The front has a silver and blue enamelled oval badge attached to it showing a fouled anchor within a wreath, with a king's crown abo
