Grass Patch
Grass Patch is part of the Esperance Shire located 846kms.East of Perth on the Kalgoorlie/Esperance road, a very small town site with a Tavern and a large grain receival facility for the surrounding wheat farms. This Memorial is sited alongside the main road opposite the Tavern and forms part of what is known as the Mallee Memorial dedicated to the settlers who opened up the District for agriculture. Alongside the figure of the Bren gunner the Memorial bears three plaques, the top one reads :
A Mallee Tribute to Leslie Thomas Starcevich VC, B Coy.2nd/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1918 to 1989*
The next plaque down is headed 'Lest We Forget - Mallee Residents who served our Country' sixtytwo names are shown with six noted as killed in action. The last and smallest plaque reads :
' This Memorial was officially opened by Brigadier T.J.Allan AM ADC on 28th.June, 1995'
The side of the Memorial stone bears a small plaque recording that the figure was sculpted and cast by Chris Seimer.
*Private Tom Starcevich won the Victoria Cross during the capture of 'Beaufort' in North Borneo on June 28th.,1945 when,on his own, he charged four enemy machinegun posts firing his Brengun from the hip and overcame them allowing his Coy.to advance.