Leslie Thomas Starcevich
Private, 2nd/43rd Battalion. * Australian Military Forces
- Register No.
- 1179 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Private all Privates →
- Unit
- 2nd/43rd Battalion. * Australian Military Forces (register: 2/43rd Battalion, AIF) all 2/43rd Battalion, AIF VCs →
- Date of action
- 28 June 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 8th November 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Born
- 5th September 1918 at Subiaco, Western Australia
- Died
- 17th November 1989 at Grass Patch, Kalgoorlie, Western
- Memorial / grave
- on a tablet at Beaufort, North Borneo.* and on the Australian War Memorial at Canberra
- Medal held by
- the Army Museum of Western Australia,
Digest of citation
In the action at Beaufort, North Borneo, on 25th May 1945, the leading section suffered many casualties from the heavy fire of two Japanese machine gun posts. Private Starcevich, a Bren gunner, went forward and attacked each of these posts, in turn, killing five Japanese and causing the rest to flee. When the section was again held up later, using similar tactics, he captured two more posts single-handed, killing seven more of the enemy
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
STARCEVICH, Leslie Thomas. (reg No. 1179).
Private. 2nd/43rd Battalion. * Australian Military Forces.
London Gazetted on 8th November 1945.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Army Museum of Western Australia, Artillery Barracks, Fremantle, Australia.
Born on 5th September 1918 at Subiaco, Western Australia.
Died on 17th November 1989 at Grass Patch, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
Memorials are on a tablet at Beaufort, North Borneo.* and on the Australian War Memorial at Canberra.
Digest of Citation reads: In the action at Beaufort, North Borneo, on 25th May 1945, the leading section suffered many casualties from the heavy fire of two Japanese machine gun posts. Private Starcevich, a Bren gunner, went forward and attacked each of these posts, in turn, killing five Japanese and causing the rest to flee. When the section was again held up later, using similar tactics, he captured two more posts single-handed, killing seven more of the enemy.
* South Australia.
* South Australia.
Artillery Barracks, Fremantle, Australia.
Australia.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: on a tablet at Beaufort, North Borneo.* and on the Australian War Memorial at Canberra
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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