Starcevich Memorial Monument
The Starcevich Memorial Monument or Australian Memorial Beaufort in the Malaysian city of Beaufort is a memorial commemorating the merits of Soldier Leslie Thomas (Tom) Starcevich of the 2 / 43th Australian Infantry Battalion in the retaking of Beaufort by Allied forces on June 28, 1945 . Starcevich was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery .
Description of the monument
The monument has the shape of a stele about one meter high. The cross-section is rectangular; the stele tapers slightly towards the top and is crowned by a flat point. On the front is a metal plaque with the following inscription in English:
On
This Hill
By His Valor And Disregard Of Danger
Private LT Starcevich
of 2 / 43rd. Battalion,
AIF Routed The Japanese Defenders
Single-Handed, For Which He Was Awarded
Starcevich died in November 1989 at the age of 71 in Grass Patch, a small town in the Mallee region of Western Australia. At the suggestion of his World War comrade Stanley Toomey, the Veterans Association 2 / 43rd Battalion Association had another, smaller metal plate inserted in June 1990. Under the regimental symbol "T" and the coat of arms of the Australian Imperial Force is the inscription:
Leslie Thomas Starcevich VC
Born 5-9-1918 Died 17-11-1989
Grass Patch West Australia
Age 71 Years
Lest we Forget
Historical background
In June 1945 the 9th Australian Division prepared for the final reconquest of Borneo from the Japanese occupiers with a whole series of landings in Brunei Bay . After taking Labuan , Pulau Muara Besar and Bandar Brunei , Weston and Beaufort were the Australians' next targets. Parts of the 2 / 32nd Battalion landed in Weston on June 16, but found the area deserted by the Japanese. The rest of the battalion followed the next day, while parts of the 2 / 43th Battalion and 2 / 11th Commando Squadron landed at Mempakul at the same time. After reconnaissance had located Japanese units in Beaufort, the 2 / 32th and 2 / 43th Battalions began attacking the 386th Independent Infantry Battalion under Major Kimura Jiro on June 27 .
By the evening of June 27th, soldiers of the 2 / 43th Battalion had already fought their way into the city center, while some companies remained outside the city to cut off the enemy's escape route. The following morning, a unit of the Australians came into Japanese machine gun fire while patrolling the adjacent jungle. Soldier Tom Starcevich led two counterattacks and destroyed four machine gun positions with his hip-stop Bren . He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery. It was the last Victoria Cross awarded during World War II.
Installation site
The monument was erected by citizens of the city of Beaufort in gratitude for the liberation of the city. The memorial in the form of a memorial stone was initially located in front of the police station, and was later moved to its current location on the outskirts of Beaufort, in a narrow side street between the railway line and the district office ( Pejabat Daerah Beaufort ).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Stephen R. Evans: Sabah Under The Rising Sun Government. Malaysia 1999, p. 77.
- ↑ a b Information board “Australian Memorial, Beaufort” at the Starcevich Memorial Monument; explored on site on August 3, 2012.
- ^ A b Danny Wong Tze Ken: Historical Sabah: The War. Opus Publications Kota Kinabalu, 2010, ISBN 978-983-3987-37-5 , p. 142.
Remarks
- ↑ Translation: In June 1945, on this hill, through his heroism and regardless of the danger, soldier LT Starcevich of the 2/43rd Battalion of the Australian Imperial Forces put the Japanese defenders to flight, independently and alone, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross has been.
- ^ Translation: Farewell, Leslie Thomas Starcevich VC, born September 5, 1918, died November 17, 1989 in Grass Patch, Western Australia at the age of 71. May we never forget
Coordinates: 5 ° 20 ′ 35.4 " N , 115 ° 44 ′ 48.5" E