WWII digger receives service medal at 99
Glen Dobie was 18 when he, like many other young Australians, answered the call to arms during World War II.
CAPTION: Commander 9th Brigade Brigadier Tim Orders presents World War II veteran Glen Dobie with his Australian Service Medal 1945-75 with Clasp ‘PNG’. Story and photos by Captain Peter March.
Soon after enlisting, Mr Dobie deployed to the South Pacific, where he was wounded.
He recounts his experience with great clarity.
“We were moving up on the Japanese and I was first scout,” Mr Dobie recalled.
“We took on fire and a bullet ricocheted off the magazine of my gun and hit me in the top of my right arm, and then hit the second scout in the stomach.
“Luckily, he had good fat tissue and the bullet didn’t go in too far.
“We both ended up in a hospital in New Guinea, which took nearly a week to get to because of the access through the jungle and our isolation.
“We both survived our wounds.
“There was some talk between two doctors about amputating my arm.
“Thankfully the doctor who didn’t want to amputate won.
“However, the muscle of my arm was badly damaged.
“This led to my discharge and I was to go home.”
Mr Dobie spent the following decades raising a family and working across rural South Australia, unaware he had never been fully recognised for his efforts during the war.
That changed this month when, at the age of 99, Mr Dobie was presented with the Australian Service Medal 1945-75.
The awarding of the medal was a result of efforts made by local veterans advocate Laurie Mann.
“I was on a mission to find veterans in the Naracoorte Lucindale region,” Mr Mann said.
“I discussed it with a few people around town and I found out that there was a World War II veteran living out of town by himself and still on his farm.
“I asked the Directorate of Honours and Awards about Glen, and they informed me he was missing the Australian Service Medal 1945-75 with clasp ‘PNG’.”
The medal was presented on behalf of the Chief of Army by Commander 9th Brigade Brigadier Tim Orders at a ceremony held in the rural aged care facility where Mr Dobie now resides, surrounded by federal, state and local politicians, as well as a large gathering of Mr Dobie’s family.
His son, Kelvin Dobie, said it was a great privilege and an honour to share the ceremony with his dad.
“We love dad dearly. We had a tough life and a blessed life. It’s a miracle that he survived [the war], and I’m just so grateful,” he said.
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