Anzac Noel Costigan honoured in Wests Leagues v Souths Sharks NRL match

A war hero from Walkerston will be honoured at a specialty NRL match between opposing Mackay sides, with the game called by a duplicate of a whistle used when Anzacs went over the top of Gallipoli in World War I.

A war hero from Walkerston will be honoured at a specialty NRL match between opposing Mackay sides, with the game called by a duplicate of a whistle used when Anzacs went over the top of Gallipoli in World War I.

A Walkerston-born soldier will be honoured at a special Anzac Day football match at Wests Suburbs Leagues Club on Saturday.

A medallion honouring Corporal Noel George Costigan will be awarded to the best and fairest player in an NRL match between the Western Suburbs and Souths Sharks sides.

Corporal Costigan served in the Australian Imperial Forces including the Royal Australian Regiment after enlisting for World War II on May 17 at 20 years old.

Central Queensland District deputy president John Edwards said Corporal Costigan received the Military Medal as well as the Award for Bravery in Action.

Corporal Noel George Costigan. Photo: Australian War Memorial

The Military Medal citation states Corporal Costigan, while in command of a security patrol in the south west Pacific, single-handedly stood over wounded men while holding off the enemy and killing two.

“(His) coolness and disregard of his personal safety undoubtedly saved the lives of his men,” it states.

But soon after he was coined as the “most unlucky man in the Australian Korea Battalion” after a bullet from friendly fire struck a vital nerve in his back.

Corporal Noel George Costigan in the Daily Mercury.

The Daily Mercury on Anzac Day in 1951 reported it was “doubtful whether he (would) walk again”.

His nephew said while his uncle was paralysed from the waist down, he “maintained his cheery outlook”.

Wests’ commemorations begin at 5.45pm with the A-grade match kicking off at 6.30pm.

Mr Edwards said the event would also feature a duplicate of a whistle used when Anzacs went over the top of Gallipoli in World War I, and Glen Nikolai playing a WWI bugle.

Corporal Noel George Costigan's medals. Photo: Australian War Memorial

Wests general manager Kingsley Theiber thanked the RSL for stepping in to replace 22 Anzac match jerseys stolen from the club on April 12.

There will be various Anzac Day games played across Mackay on Saturday including at Sarina’s Ray Edwards Oval with a match between NRL Sarina and Mackay Brothers sides.

The Len Lister Medal will be awarded in honour of Sarina’s last remaining WWII veteran who turned 100 earlier this year. 

Mr Lister is believed to be one of the few remaining WWII veterans remaining in the Mackay region alongside Norman Waterson who turned 100 in December who recently shared his story for the first time.