Claude was shipped to England, admitted to Norwich Hospital, north east from London on the coast, to have his hand operated on after it was mutilated by gunshot at Villers Bretonneux France. He had been carrying water along a railway cutting when attacked.

The doctor was going to amputate all of his fingers and only leave Claude with a thumb on his right hand. A nurse pleaded with the doctor to try and save his index finger so he would at least have some use of his hand. Thanks to that unknown English nurse, Claude was able to use his thumb and index finger as anyone else would use a hand with a thumb and 4 fingers.  A young nurse, who challenged her superior, rescued Claude from a permanent life long handicap.

Claude returned to Clyde in 1918 welcomed home by his many friends. By that time his family had moved to a home on the corner of Pattersons and Tuckers Road, brother Stanley had finished school, and the youngest one, Alva shifted to Clyde North School.

His grand daughter Julia--Anne added
“People did get a surprise when he put out his hand to shake hands!! As kids we never took too much notice, as we had only ever known Pa with his hand that way. He lived to 93, which is pretty fantastic. As I got older, I always wondered how he managed during the war as he was a very gentle and sincere Christian. As children we were told that one of the oak trees in Cranbourne's Avenue of Honour was planted in Pa's honour. We never knew which one though”

Born in Northcote 1893, youngest son of Isaac and Susan Mullin, Vernon was less than a year old when his father died. The following year a time of financial depression in Australia hit hard on the Mullin family then based in Malvern. They still owned land rented out on the eastern corner of Ballarto and Tuckers Road.

Eventually in 1908 Mrs Susan Mullin and children needed to return from Malvern to their Clyde farm. The Mullin family became an integral part of the growing Methodist Church community. Vernon was member of the local Methodist Church even after his mother moved back to the city. Vernon stayed on in Clyde working for Mr John Sykes, Tucker Road, Clyde Borth until he enlisted at 20 years of age for overseas military service.

He travelled to the Middle East aboard the “Wandilla” in June 1916, a journey he shared with another former Clyde North scholar, Richard Talbot who later was killed in combat.

In 1918 at 24 years of age he returned to Australia, obtained employment in a Melbourne suburban telephone exchange and two years later married Miss Adelaide Kelly, a faithful life time companion. He died in 1972 aged 78