Unofficial Infantry Frontline Medal : Private G D Shearston, 2/1 Pioneer Battalion

Places
Accession Number REL49840.005
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Medal
Physical description Alloy
Maker A J Parkes & Co
Place made Australia
Date made c 1980
Conflict Period 1980-1989
Description

Unofficial Infantry Frontline Medal, unnamed as issued.

History / Summary

Service medal issued to NX131926 Private George Douglas “Doug” Shearston, No 1 Platoon, Headquarters Company, 2/1 Pioneer Battalion. Shearston enlisted on 6 August 1942 and joined 2/1 Pioneer Battalion after they had served on the Kokoda Track. They returned to Australia in October 1943 to regroup and retrain for the invasion of Borneo. They came ashore on 1 July 1945 at Balikpapan where they consolidated the beachhead and helped defend Balikpapan Harbour. At the end of the war Private Doug Shearston was witness to the surrender of the Japanese forces there, where he took photographs (see P00919.001 and .002 and the camera REL24621).

The Infantry Frontline Medal is an unofficial medal made by A J Parkes and available for commercial sale.