Background
Leslie Thomas "Tom" Starcevich was born in Subiaco, Western Australia (WA). One of ten children, he grew up on on a farm at Grass Patch, north of Esperance, Western Australia.
Wartime History
Following the outbreak of war, both Starcevich enlisted in the Australian Army and was assigned to the 2/43rd Infantry Battalion and served in the North African campaign and was wounded in the thigh on 17 July 1942 at Ruin Ridge, Egypt during the First Battle of El Alamein. In 1943, he fought in the Huon Peninsula campaign.
On June 10, 1945, the 9th Division landed in Brunei Bay with the 2/43rd Battalion landing on Labuan Island. Nine days later the battalion moved to the mainland and on 28 June, during the capture of Beaufort, the lead section of Starcevich's company came under fire from two Japanese machine-gun positions and suffered casualties. Starcevich, a Bren gunner, moved forward and assaulted each position in turn, killing five Japanese soldiers and causing the remainder of the machine guns' crews to retreat. Later that day, when the company was again held up by two machine gun positions, Starcevich single-handedly captured both positions, killing seven members of their crews.
Afterwards, he earned the Victoria Cross, presented by Brigadier Victor Windeyer, during a unit parade at Papar in North Borneo on 12 November 1945. He was presented with the actual medal at Government House in Perth on 27 May 1947 by Sir James Mitchell, Lt Governor of Western Australia.
Postwar
Starcevich spent the first four years after the war as a motor vehicle sales representative in Perth. He married Kathleen Betty Warr, née Hardy, at the Perth registry office on 19 December 1947. The couple had three children. During the Korean War, Starcevich wanted to re-enlist in the Australian Army but his wife talked him out of it. In 1951, Tom and his brother Joe Starcevich obtained and jointly worked a 4,300 acres soldier settlement wheat and sheep farm at Carnamah. In 1969, he divorced. In 1981, he moved back to Grass Patch, where he had bought a small farm. He died at Esperance, on 17 November 1989.
Victoria Cross Citation
 "Private L. Starcevich was a member of 2/43rd 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 defenses was difficult and hazardous. When the leading section came under fire from two enemy machine-gun posts and suffered casualties, Private Starcevich, who was a 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 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 single handed, disposing of seven enemy. 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 single handed with complete disregard of his own personal safety resulted in the decisive success of the action."
(London Gazette: 8
November 1945) |
References
WW2 Nominal Roll - Leslie Thomas Starcevich
