Bougainville, East Timor veteran has his motorbike helmet stolen during Anzac service in Toowoomba

While one veteran was watching a morning Anzac Day service in Toowoomba, someone was stealing property from his motorbike.

Anzac Day has always been a special event for Australian Army veteran Matt McGruer.

He grew up performing on the day as part of the Toowoomba Municipal Band and later enlisted, serving deployments in Bougainville and East Timor with the 171st Squadron as an aircraft handler in 1999 and 2000.

After he was discharged he made a point of coming to every Anzac Day service and later joined the Veterans Motorcycle Club.

So he felt great sadness and a pinch of anger when he returned to the bike after paying his respects to find someone had stolen his helmet.

Matt McGruer, an Australian Army Veteran who served in Bougainville and East Timor, said his motorbike helmet was stolen while he was at Toowoomba's Anzac Day services.

“I rode my bike this morning and parked in the Chalk Drive carpark thinking that there would be plenty of CCTV there and my bike would be safe,” he said.

“I put my helmet on the backrest which I have been doing for 20 years.”

Mr McGruer said he went to the Morning Service and the Gunfire Breakfast before returning to his bike to find his LS2 open-faced Spitfire helmet gone.

“I don’t expect to get it back and I don’t think I want it back, but if someone turns up at home with a new helmet I hope they get a dirty look from their family

“I thank God it was not my car that was stolen with the way things are going.

Unfortunately, the helmet was not secured to Mr McGruer’s bike.

“A lock only keeps an honest person out,” he said.

The matter has been reported to police and anyone with information about it should phone Policelink on 131 444.