Malaysian Service Medal (Pingat Jasa Malaysia) : Driver C G Hodges, Australian Regular Army

Malaysian Service Medal (Pingat Jasa Malaysia). Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Associated with the service of Staff Sergeant Colin George Hodges. Hodges was born in Bingara, NSW on 12 January 1936 and was twenty years old when he enlisted for a period of six years service in the Australian Regular Army (ARA) on 9 May 1956. With the rank of private, Hodges saw service with 4 and 1 Battalions, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR), before transferring to 2 RAR on 18 March 1957. That same day Hodges deployed to Malaya via Darwin and Singapore. 2 RAR had been in Malaya since October 1955 and from May through to July 1957 the battalion took part in Operation Eagle Swoop. In August, 2 RAR was withdrawn from operations and began a period of warfare training.

Hodges transferred to 3 RAR on 1 October and, with this unit, took part in Operation Ginger from January 1958. Ginger aimed to disrupt food supply by searching the areas between terrorist bases and food stores. The majority of the work involved tracking, searches and setting ambushes. Hodges qualified as a driver class 3 on 1 February 1959 and returned to Australia on 24 March. Transferring to the Royal Military College Duntroon on 8 May, Hodges commenced full duties as a mess steward on 25 June with a formal posting to mess steward on 31 July. He was promoted to the rank of temporary corporal (mess steward) on 29 September 1959 and to corporal on 17 August 1961.

Re-engaging for a further six years service in the ARA on 9 May 1962, Hodges qualified as a projectionist 16 mm class 3 on 2 August and was issued with an Army Cinematograph Operators licence. Transferring to the Army Team of Lecturers on 18 January 1963 he transferred back to 2 RAR on 13 April 1964 and qualified as a steward on 14 February 1967. Hodges transferred to the Australian Army Catering Corps that same day and was promoted temporary sergeant on 1 March. Re-engaging for a further six years service in the ARA on 9 May 1968 Hodges completed a Supervisor Army Messes Course at the Royal Australian Army Service Corps Centre in March 1969 and qualified as an army mess supervisor on 2 April.

On 12 August, Hodges deployed to Vietnam as a member of Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) arriving in Saigon on 13 August. Engaged as an Army Mess Supervisor he supervised a Bachelor Enlisted Quarters and was advisor to the Commander AFV on matters relating to his mess. Hodges was promoted to sergeant on 1 January 1970 and returned to Sydney on 13 August.

Promoted to staff sergeant on 1 September 1970, Hodges was deployed to Singapore on 4 November as an Army Mess Supervisor with Headquarters Australian and New Zealand Allied Air Force based at the Woodlands ANZAC Base. Awarded the Vietnam Medal and the South Vietnam Government Campaign Medal on 15 September 1971, Hodges was also awarded the Infantry Combat Badge on 15 February 1972. Returning to Australia in November he transferred to the Officers Cadet School Wing at Scheyville, NSW. Qualifying as a warrant officer in November 1973 Hodges re-engaged for a further three years service in the ARA on 9 May 1974. Qualifying as a mortarman on 18 May, Hodges transferred to 6 RAR on 1 August. At his own request Hodges was honourably discharged on 1 July 1976.