Pacific Star : Private G D Shearston, 2/1 Pioneer Battalion

Pacific Star, impressed on reverse with recipient's name.

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).