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Writer's pictureSamantha Elley
Oct 72 min read

First Australian woman killed in Vietnam

She was blonde and beautiful and at 19 years old, Cathy Wayne had the entertainment world at her feet. Her life, however, would be cut short far away from home, when she became the first Australian woman killed during the Vietnam War.


Born Catherine Anne Warnes on 7th December, 1949 in Arncliffe, New South Wales, she started singing and dancing classes at school. By 12 she was performing in school concerts and local community stage shows.

Cathy Wayne, courtesy Wikipedia


By 16 years old, as her star was rising, Cathy would be a regular on the musical show Bandstand, alongside the likes of Col Joye and Little Pattie. She was asked to join the troupe that went over to Vietnam in 1967 to entertain the soldiers. When she came home, she continued touring with Col Joye.


Then in 1969, Cathy became the lead singer of Sweethearts on Parade and the band was organised to do a tour of Vietnam. It would be her second tour. Both her parents and Col Joye urged her not to go, but she was keen to use her earnings from the tour to restart her recording career. She was also engaged to the drummer of the band, Clive Cavanagh, so there was no stopping her.


It was at a non-commissioned officers club just south of Da Nang in Vietnam where Sweethearts on Parade had come to the end of their set. It was 9.15pm and Cathy had just finished singing Dock of the Bay. A shot rang out. It hit the beautiful young woman in the chest. She died instantly.


Her fiance, Clive, raced to her side, but it was too late. Cathy took on the unwanted title of being the first Australian woman to lose her life in the Vietnam war.



US Marine Sergeant James Wayne Killen was charged with her murder and sentenced to 20 years hard labour. It was claimed he was actually trying to shoot his commanding officer, Major RE Simons, who was in the audience that night. One newspaper reported the bullet was shot from a small calibre gun from outside the building and went through the wall before hitting Cathy.


However, two years later at a retrial Killen was cleared of unpremeditated murder and released.


A book written by Don Morrison, under his pen name JD Owen, and entitled Murder on Stage resulted in the author believing Killen was innocent as well.


No one has ever been convicted of Cathy's murder. Her body was brought home and cremated.


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