A long-awaited honour: WWII veteran Ian Hart receives his medals

More than 80 years after serving his country during World War II, Ian Hart has finally received the medals recognising his service. 

The 100-year-old veteran and Tamborine Mountain RSL Sub Branch member was presented with his World War II medals during a special ceremony at Parliament House, surrounded by family, friends and representatives from Queensland State Government, the Australian Army and RSL Queensland. 

Back row: Deputy Speaker Jon Krause; Asst Minister for Veterans Janelle Poole; Colonel Rory Hale, Commander Littoral Manoeuvre Group; Warrant Officer Class One Peter Simeon, Regimental Sergeant Major Littoral Manoeuvre Group. Front row: Premier of Queensland David Crisafulli, Ian Hart, RSL Queensland State Vice President Brigadier Arran Hassell CSC.

Service across the Pacific 

Born in Brisbane on 4 December 1925, Ian Hart enlisted in the Australian Army on 9 February 1944, aged just 18. He was posted to the 11th Australian Small Ship’s Company (AIF), a Royal Australian Engineers water transport unit responsible for moving troops and supplies throughout the Pacific. 

Serving aboard the TSMV Blackwood in Australia and Papua New Guinea, Ian travelled to Bougainville, Manus Island and Borneo during his service. At one point, the Blackwood became grounded on Mudlark Island in Papua New Guinea, forcing Ian and the crew to abandon ship before being rescued by an American cargo ship. 

After returning to Australia in January 1946, Ian was discharged from the Army on 25 June 1946. By then, he had completed 245 days of active service overseas and 622 days of service in Australia. 

Despite that service, Ian had never received the medals he had earned. He had previously purchased a set of miniature medals to wear on ceremonial occasions, but those miniatures represented only part of his service. His situation came to light while he was sharing his story with This Story Australia, prompting his local RSL Sub Branch to apply for his medals on his behalf. 

"This was all just an accident. After hearing that I only had miniatures, my Sub Branch got in touch with the Department to look up my records, found the survivors of the Blackwood and here we are. This means a lot to me and my family, so thank you," Ian says. 

Honouring Ian's legacy 

At the ceremony, Premier of Queensland and Minister for Veterans David Crisafulli presented Ian with the 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Australian Service Medal 1939-1945, and the Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 with clasp Southwest Pacific.

Ian's medals 

The 1st Landing Craft Battalion and Littoral Manoeuvre Group has just been reformed by the Australian Army and is based in Brisbane. The Littoral Manoeuvre Group has historic links to the water transport unit in which Ian served. The approved Unit Colour Patch for the Littoral Manoeuvre Group, a red anchor on a purple background, is the same design used by the Water Transport Groups during the Second World War. 

Colonel Rory Hale, Commander of the Littoral Manoeuvre Group was present alongside RSL Queensland Vice President Brigadier Arran Hassell CSC and Tamborine Mountain RSL Sub Branch President Phill Hunter. 

“For RSL Queensland, this occasion is a reminder of the importance of ensuring every veteran’s service is recognised and remembered. It is an incredible privilege to see Ian finally receive the medals that recognise his service to Australia more than 80 years ago,” Brigadier Hassell says. 

"While many decades have passed, the significance of that service has not diminished, and neither has our gratitude. Ian is an important part of our veteran community, and it is particularly special for those of us at Tamborine Mountain RSL Sub Branch to share this moment with him.”

Ian speaking at his medal presentation; Colonel Hale showing Ian and his family the approved Unit Colour Patch for the Littoral Manoeuvre Group

A lifetime of service remembered 

Following the war, Ian built a life far removed from the waters of the Pacific. He worked in accounting, ran a cattle property and became involved in deer farming; whilst raising a family with his beloved wife, Elaine, on Tamborine Mountain. 

“Ian has been an RSL member for more than 80 years, so it's a privilege to have helped him finally get this recognition and I don't think it's something we'll get the chance to do again," Tamborine Mountain RSL Sub Branch President Phill Hunter says. 

The presentation offered a long-awaited opportunity to formally acknowledge a chapter of Ian’s life that began when he was just 18. 

More than eight decades after his wartime service, the medals now provide a tangible recognition of Ian's service and sacrifice for Australia. 

Ian with his medals