The portrait of the late Warrant Officer John Penboss Hunt now has a permanent home and his family could be happier.
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The story behind Warrant Officer (WO) Hunt's life, apart from how his portrait is now preserved by the Nowra RSL Sub-branch, is amazing.
The portrait's story is the final chapter to a tragedy and mystery which dates back to World War Two.
Warrant Officer Hunt, in 2013, was one of four people honoured at a burial service in Italy - 68 years after he died in a crash.
His Boston Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft took off from Forli, Italy, near Rimini on April 21, 1945.
Aboard were WO Hunt and three RAF members.
The target was a river crossing on the Po at Taglio di Po followed by an armed reconnaissance of the Po Valley.
The aircraft failed to return and was believed to have been brought down by anti-aircraft fire, killing all four crew members on board.
The remains of the aircraft were unearthed in 2011 by Italian amateur archaeological society.
The excavation near Ferrara revealed human remains and some personal effects, including a watch belonging to WO Hunt.
The watch in 2013 was presented to his half-brother Wes Madge by the discoverer of the aircraft wreckage site. The watch remains in the family's possession.
Mr Madge is a well known former businessman and on July 18, 2013, he, along with other family members, attended the interment ceremony at the Padua War Cemetery.
WO Hunt's nephews Darren and Ray Madge, and Ray's wife Helen joined Wes Madge at the ceremony.
The coffin was carried by members of the RAF's Queen's Colour Squadron and the Last Post was played by Ray Madge on the cornet.
Years later a request to further preserve WO Hunt's memory came about.
Sub-Branch President Fred Dawson said the next chapter of Warrant Officier's Hunt's journey started when Pip de Pulford, from Hyper Hyper Coffee, made an approach.
"Pip wanted to honour an Anzac," Mr Dawson said.
Mr Dawson said the approach was made about three Anzac Days ago and Pip knew Warrant Officer Hunt's story.
"Pip wanted permission to draw the portrait and put it up at Hyper Hyper," Mr Dawson said.
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Contact was made with Wes Madge who approved the proposal.
The portrait hung at Hyper Hyper for some time, until the sub-branch took ownership of it.
"We wanted to preserve it and Pip could have just wiped it off and put something else up - it's only chalk," Mr Dawson said.
The work has now been treated and can't be smudged.
It was only in recent times that the sub-branch was able to include the work with many other important pieces in its Nowra based rooms.
The Madge family was then contacted and recently family members went down to the Nowra Sub-Branch rooms to see the portrait.
"I thought it would be good for Wes to know it was up so he could come and have a look. He knows he can come in any time he wants," Mr Dawson said
Mr Madge did not know what had happened to the portrait and his first visit to see it 'was a surprise' just before Christmas.
Mr Dawson said Wes Madge was stunned and pleased.
Meanwhile, a story written by the South Coast Register's Robert Crawford explained how WO Hunt's mother Jeanette Madge was never informed, until months later, that her brother was shot down and presumed dead.
The plane went down on April 21 1945.
Jeanette Madge, when she had no word about her son, wrote a letter in November 1945 seeking information.
Because she had remarried and changed her name from Hunt to Madge the letter the government sent saying WO Hunt was presumed dead was never received until months afterwards.