MOREE’S last-surviving connection to service in Australia during World War 2, Royal Australian Airforce veteran Des Hurst, this week welcomed 2026 with a special presentation at Whiddon residential care facility.
Mr Hurst, who turns 100 on July 13, was presented with a commemorative display box to house his medals and pins.
The presentation was a personal gift from United States returned serviceman, Will Garrett.
“I like to give back to the veterans’ community and since Mr Hurst is Moree’s only surviving World War 2 veteran, I wanted him to have this gift in recognition of his service,” Mr Garrett said.
The beautifully-crafted box is made from Eucalyptus Marginata, better-known as Australian Jarrah.
“Jarrah is an iconic Australia wood known for its colours, beauty and durability,” Mr Garrett said.
“It was used a lot during the first world war and second world war and it is the traditional wood used to make veterans’ boxes like this one to house medals and pins.
“During the first world war many of the original Anzac legends had boxes for medals made with Jarrah,” he said.
“In the conflicts to come, veterans carried on the tradition of housing their precious medals of service and sacrifice in boxes like the one presented to Mr Hurst.
“I’m a United States Army veteran, not ADF or Australian Armed Forces, and I wanted to make this presentation from one ex-serviceman to another,” Mr Garrett said.
Mr Hurst, a national serviceman during his late teens, was accepted as an air crew trainee with the Royal Australian Airforce in 1944 and was called up in December of that year as part of the intake for the initial training school.
He was discharged on April 5, 1945, one month before World War 2 ended.
Mr Hurst didn’t sit idle in post-war years.
He was a pioneering, long-serving volunteer with the NSW Civil Defence and State Emergency Service and is recognised for more than 55 years of dedication, particularly in north-western New South Wales.
He served as a foundation member, aviation officer, deputy division controller and division controller for the North-West Division.
Mr Hurst established aerial operations and pioneered air-drop methods for flood relief in the 1950s. His legacy includes mentoring volunteers and providing critical air support during devastating regional floods, an extraordinary commitment that started when he was a young pilot.
Mr Hurst was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2001 for his service to the Moree community, particularly through the New South Wales State Emergency Service, an organisation he joined in 1955.
His wife Lola, who passed away in 2018, aged 91, also received an OAM in 2010 for her service to the Moree community and work in the north-west region’s State Emergency Service.
“Mr Hurst is nearly 100 years old. To celebrate the new year properly, it was decided to present him with a special, custom-made box to house his medals,” Mr Garrett said.
“This means his legacy can be protected and preserved properly for centuries to come.
“Mr Hurst is indeed one of the last, true legends,” he said.
