AROUND 100 mourners farewelled one of Beachport’s last World War II veterans at his funeral last week.
They honoured the life of retired fisherman Monte Bartholomew at the graveside service at the Beachport Cemetery.
The 92-year-old had died at Mount Gambier Hospital on June 28 after a period of poor health.
Born in Millicent on January 21, 1926, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1943 within two months of marking his 17th birthday.
As a sailor, Mr Bartholomew saw active service aboard the so-called “small boats” which operated out of Darwin.
They supported the commandos who served behind Japanese lines.
Mr Bartholomew was a long-time member of the Millicent sub-branch of the Returned and Services League.
Millicent RSL president Chris Mathias and seven of his sub-branch members presented the traditional RSL funeral ritual at the graveside.
The Australian flag was reverently removed from the coffin and then presented to the Bartholomew family.
Mr Mathias said the deceased was the longest-serving member of the Millicent sub-branch as he had joined in 1946 and within a fortnight of his discharge.
He re-counted the war service of Able Seaman Bartholomew over a period lasting over three years until his discharge in April 1946.
“Until three years ago, the activities of the small boats out of Darwin was classified information,” Mr Mathias said.
“The small boats provided transport for the members of the Z Special Unit.
“After the war, Monte returned to fishing at Beachport and raised a family.”
The death of Mr Bartholomew is also mourned by his family and friends.
He was one of the local World War II veterans to be photographed in 2015 by Furner freelance photographer Jacqui Bateman.
The Reflections – Honouring our World War II Veterans project aimed to photograph as many of Australia’s surviving World War II veterans as possible.
The death of Mr Bartholomew means 97-year-old Lorna Bowman is Beachport’s sole remaining World War II veteran.
The ranks of Millicent’s World War II veterans have fallen by four in 2018 with the deaths of Grace MacKenzie, Father Alf Stringer, Max Skeer and Ron Howe.
