Two of the three surviving Bombing of Darwin Veterans will miss this year’s commemorations

BOMBING of Darwin veteran Basil Stahl won’t sadly travel to the Top End this year

BOMBING of Darwin veteran Basil Stahl won’t travel to the Top End this year because of the risk COVID-19 poses.

Mervyn Ey is the only veteran making the trek for Friday’s commemoration.

Basil Stahl’s son Richard Stahl said they made the difficult decision last week.

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“It’s safe up there but there are outbreaks all over the place… we would have to head into it, into Brissy, mask all the way on the plane,” he said.

“It’s a bit hard with everything going on… it was a toss of the coin.”

While disappointed, veteran Basil Stahl, aged 98. said he would make up for it at the 80th anniversary next year. “We’ll go up for the 80th … I’ve been going for 28 years now, every year since the 50th.

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“(The bombing) was a long time ago but you don’t forget it. I don’t forget that first big bombing.”

Read Veteran Brian Winspear’s story in tomorrow’s paper