Let p be a prime number, k an algebraically closed field of characteristic p, P a finite p-group and W an indecomposable kP-module. Given a finite group G and an indecomposable kG-module V , we say that ðP; W Þ is a vertex–source pair for ðG; V Þ if there is an inclusion P ,! G of groups, under which P is a vertex of V and W is a source of V . Endo-permutation modules occur frequently as sources of simple modules of finite groups. For instance, every simple module of a p-soluble group has endopermutation source; if V is a simple kG-module, where G is a finite group, lying in a nilpotent block of kG, then V has endo-permutation source, and any 2-block of a finite group whose defect groups are isomorphic to the Klein 4-group possesses a simple module with endo-permutation source. By results of Berger and Feit, and independently Puig, the proof of which invokes the classification of finite simple groups, if W is an endo-permutation kP-module which occurs as a source of a simple kG-module, for a p-soluble group G, then the class of W is a torsion element in the Dade group of P. Further, Mazza [8] has shown that any endo-permutation kP-module whose isomorphism class is a torsion element of the Dade group of P and which satisfies certain structural constraints identified by Puig does occur as source of some simple module of some p-nilpotent group. By contrast, the question of which endo-permutation modules occur as sources of simple modules in simple, quasi-simple or almost simple groups has not been extensively studied. The smallest interesting case is the case where P is elementary abelian of rank 2, since if P is a finite cyclic group, there are no non-torsion endo-permutation kPmodules. In this paper, we study two situations in which simple modules of groups related to the finite classical groups having vertex–source pairs ðP; W Þ ,w ithP elementary abelian of order p 2 and W endo-permutation, occur and we prove that in both cases, W must be a self-dual module and hence corresponds to an element of order at most 2 in the corresponding Dade group.