Vernon Lawrence Walter Thomas (27 August 1914 – 17 November 1957) was a New Zealand wrestler who won a silver medal at the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 ye ...

Biography

Born on 27 August 1914, Thomas was the son of Rubena Birss and her husband Walter Samuel Thomas. Thomas won four New Zealand national amateur wrestling titles: the welterweight title in 1935, 1936, and 1938; and the lightweight championship in 1937. At the

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, he won the silver medal in the men's lightweight division. Thomas died on 17 November 1957, and his ashes were buried in

Karori Cemetery Karori Cemetery is New Zealand's second largest cemetery, located in the Wellington suburb of Karori. History Karori Cemetery opened in 1891 to address overcrowding at Bolton Street Cemetery. In 1909, it received New Zealand's first cremato ...

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

References

1914 births 1957 deaths Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand Wrestlers at the 1938 British Empire Games New Zealand male sport wrestlers Commonwealth Games medallists in wrestling Burials at Karori Cemetery Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games {{NewZealand-wrestling-bio-stub