He enlisted at 15 – six decades later, this veteran’s service is still being honoured

RETIRED Byron Bay veteran Major John ‘Jack’ Thurgar was recently awarded the 2025 Tingira Stonehaven Medal, recognising a lifetime of outstanding service, leadership and contribution well beyond the call of duty.

The medal is presented annually to a member of the Tingira Australia Association, which brings together former Royal Australian Navy Junior Recruits who trained at HMAS Cerberus and HMAS Leeuwin between 1960 and 1984.

The 75-year-old said he was delighted to receive the honour.

“I’m very proud of my Tingira shipmates and enjoyed celebrating with them at our big Junior Recruit reunion in Western Australia late last year,” he said.

Major Thurgar grew up on the outskirts of Scone in north-west NSW, in a family deeply connected to service and community. His father was a World War II veteran active in the local RSL, while his mother held prominent roles in the RSL Auxiliary and the Country Women’s Association.

He began his military career when he was 15, joining the Royal Australian Navy Junior Recruit Training Scheme as a proud Tingira Boy aboard HMAS Leeuwin in East Fremantle in 1965.

After discharging from the Navy the following year, Major Thurgar transferred to the Australian Army, where he served from 1967 to 2015. His distinguished career included postings with the Special Air Service Regiment, 2nd Commando Company and Unrecovered War Casualties-Army, in which he played a key role in identifying missing-in-action servicemen.

He was awarded the Star of Courage for saving the life of a farmer from an unmarked mixed barrier minefield during a war-like operation while deployed with the United Nations in Cyprus, in recognition of his bravery and commitment during critical humanitarian missions.

He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contributions to the military in 1995.

Beyond active service, he has continued to support veterans and their families as the founding president of the Australian Bravery Association, and is a life member of the RSL and Commando Association.