Four veterans with ties to Broken Hill have been recognised for their military service during a special presentation on Friday afternoon.
Five certificates were given to two recipients, with Mrs Rae Dellar receiving three on behalf of members of her family that served in the first and second world wars, and Mr Ray Harvey for two operational tours in peacekeeping while serving in the Royal Australian Navy.
Parkes MP Mark Coulton hosted the event at his electoral office and presented the Certificates of Appreciation to Raymond John Harvey, and the family members of the late Albert James McDonald, Donald Harold Earnest Massey and Harold John Massey.
“Certificates of Appreciation are just one way that the Australian Government expresses its gratitude to those who have given so much in protecting our country’s interests and helping to restore and maintain peace around the world,” Mr Coulton said.
“We are grateful for the dedication and sacrifice demonstrated by our veterans’ service to Australia, and it’s important to recognise this.
“It’s an honour to be able to present these certificates today, acknowledging the service of Raymond, Albert, Donald and Harold. “Ray served our country and the Australian Defence Force from June 1967 to January 1979, as a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy.
“He was part of peace keeping operations as a member of the Far East Strategic Reserve from 1967 to 1975.
“He continued in peace keeping operations in Southeast Asia until 1979.
“Ray was awarded two medals in recognition of his service – The Australian Service Medal and the SE Asia Medal.
“Albert joined the 24th Battalion Cadets in November 1937, aged 18. He served in the Australian Defence Force from November 1939 to February 1943 when he was killed in action in New Guinea while serving in the 2/7 Australian Infantry Battalion, leaving behind a young wife.
“Donald served in the Citizen Military Forces from December 1941 to 1943 and the Australian Imperial Forces from October 1943 to April 1946 in Australia and New Guinea.
“He was a Driver in the 151 General Transport Company.
“Harold first served as a Private in the 2/8th Ambulance in Australia from 1940 to 1941. He served again as a Sergeant in the L.T.D in Adelaide from 1941 to 1944.
“Thank you to each of these men for their sacrifice and service. Even though Albert, Donald and Harold are no longer with us, it’s lovely for their families to have this memento to pass onto future generations, to remember the role they played in various conflicts,” Mr Coulton said.
Speaking of his time in the Royal Australian Navy, Mr Harvey said that he started out as a musician, just to get in the Navy, and ended his career as a physical training instructor, but most of the time his main job was steward.
He served on five ships during his tenure and the highlight of his career was serving and chatting with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth during the royal visit to open the Sydney Opera House
Ms Dellar has an interesting association with Albert James McDonald who was killed in action in New Guinea in 1943 – he was her mother’s first husband and has no other family as he was a ward of the state.
Her grandfather, Harold John Massey, served in both the first and second world wars, receiving the Distinguished Services Medal (DSM).
“To me it’s an honour to receive these on behalf of those three men and all the other boys that went away to war,” Ms Dellar said.
