Two distinguished Colac and district soldiers earned Military Medals in the Second World War, and although one paid for it with a limb, it would not slow him afterwards. Jim Niblett was born in 1919 and raised on an Irrewarra dairy farm. He joined the army in March 1941 and would serve 1195 days, more than 950 abroad. He served in the Middle East and was posted to New Guinea twice. It was during his second posting that he was recommended for the Military Medal for “outstanding courage and initiative” on March 29 and 30, 1945, at Kilkuil and Gwanginin. He was seriously wounded in action on April 16, shortly after his heroism, suffering a fractured left femur with sciatic nerve lesion. Buy the Colac Herald print edition, which has full coverage of all the region’s news and sport. Where To Buy Private Niblett was evacuated to begin the long journey home with plenty of stops along the way. He arrived in Melbourne by ambulance train but lost his leg. He was discharged for the army in 1946 and deemed to be 100-per-cent disabled. But despite this, he married Gwen McEwan in 1947 and ran a dairy farm at South Purrrumbete. Jim and Gwen raised four children. The tragedy of war would strike the Niblett family again, though – Private Ralph Niblett, their eldest son, was killed in action in Vietnam in 1971. Jim Niblett died in 1995 and is buried in the Cobden Cemetery. Meanwhile, Eric Lewis was born in Colac in 1918 and signed up to the Australian Army in November 1939, serving in the 47 Australian Infantry Battalion. Captain Lewis received the Military Cross for courageous and inspired leadership at Lewis Knoll on August 1943. He was discharged in October 1945. Following the war, Eric was a jeweller in Colac’s Murray Street for years. Before retiring in Queensland. Thanks to the Colac and District Family History Group with their assistance preparing this article.
Two district heroes remembered
