Tom Starcevich

Born in the Western Australian suburb of Subiaco in 1918, Leslie Thomas Starcevich grew up on a rural property in Grass Patch before securing work as a gold miner in Norseman. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 9 April 1941, was allocated service number WX11519, and was posted to the 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion. His combat experience began in the Middle East, where he suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh at Ruin Ridge during the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942. After recovering from his injuries, he deployed with his unit to the South West Pacific theatre, fighting through the harsh jungle conditions of the Huon Peninsula campaign in New Guinea in 1943.

By the summer of 1945, Starcevich was operating as a Bren gunner during the Borneo campaign. On 28 June, his battalion was tasked with capturing the town of Beaufort. As his section moved along a narrow, thickly wooded spur, they encountered intense machine-gun fire that inflicted immediate casualties and halted the advance. Recognising the precarious position of his unit, he initiated a solo assault against the Japanese emplacements. His actions that day were gazetted on 6 November 1945:

"For most conspicuous gallantry and extreme devotion to duty at Beaufort, North Borneo, 28th June, 1945. WX11519 Private L. Starcevich was a member of the 2nd /43rd Australian Infantry Battalion during the capture of Beaufort, North Borneo. During the approach along a thickly wooded spur, the enemy was encountered at a position where movement off the single track leading into the enemy defences was difficult and hazardous. When the leading section came under fire from two enemy machine gun posts and suffered casualties, Private Starcevich, who was Bren gunner, moved forward and assaulted each post in turn. He rushed each post, firing his Bren gun from the hip, killed five enemy and put the remaining occupants of the posts to flight. The advance progressed until the section came under fire from two more machine gun posts which halted the section temporarily. Private Starcevich again advanced fearlessly firing his Bren Gun from the hip and ignoring the hostile fire captured both posts singlehanded, disposing of seven enemy in this assault. These daring efforts enabled the Company to increase the momentum of its attack and so relieve pressure on another Company which was attacking from another direction. The outstanding gallantry of Private Starcevich in carrying out these attacks singlehanded with complete disregard of his own personal safety resulted in the decisive success of the action."

Returning to Australia at the end of the conflict, he was discharged in early 1946 and transitioned to civilian employment as a car salesman in Perth, while also completing a brief period of service in the Citizen Military Forces. He eventually returned to agricultural work, settling into a life of farming in the Esperance region until his death in 1989.