Edward Vipond Little was born in Miles, Queensland on 26 January 1923, the son of Edward Vipond Little and Dorothy Shelbourne (nee Stone). His mother was a great-granddaughter of Thomas and Ann Stone.
He enlisted in the R.A.A.F. on 9 October 1942. After qualifying as a Navigator he served overseas in the United Kingdom and the Middle East. He was discharged on 25 January 1946.
