Kiwi Medals

The Australia Service Medal 1939–45 recognises service by Australia’s armed forces, Mercantile Marine and Volunteer Defence Corps during World War II.
Initially, the qualifying period was those members who served overseas for at least 18 months full-time service or three years’ part-time service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. On 16 August 1996, the qualifying period was reduced to 30 days for full-time service and 90 days for part-time service.

My one is named to Q191735 E.E.G. Finlay. Staff Sergeant Eric Edward George Finlay died on the 15th of March, 1942, aged 29, while serving in the Australian Army, 4 Supply Company AASC. His place of death is recorded as Australia, but a bit more googling reveals more. Eric was the son of Albert Edward and Elizabeth Marie Finlay, of Bardon, Queensland; Husband of Barbara Mary Finlay, of Bardon, Queensland. His grave is in Adelaide River War Cemetery in the Northern Territory. In this cemetery are buried the men who died building the “track” to Darwin during WW2. His death notices, placed by his wife and other family in the Brisbane Courier Mail on the 15th of March 1942, describe him dying in a “burning accident” at Mount Isa. How awful.

This entry was posted on August 1, 2013 at 10:03 PM and is filed under 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Australia, WW2. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.