Image credit: South Australia Police
Captain Maxwell George Worthley was an Australian Army officer who served during the Second World War. He enlisted at Broadview, South Australia, on 21 June 1940, and served in the Middle East, New Guinea, and Borneo. He was a member of the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion and was awarded a Mention in Despatches. Last month, police located and returned six missing medals belonging to Captain Worthley.
SAPOL said in a statement, “A/Detective Sergeant Nic Jong returned Captain Maxwell George Worthley’s World War Two medals to his nephew David! The six medals were found by police during a search of a property at Elizabeth Downs on Tuesday 4 February.”
“Police would like to thank all those who conducted their own research, called Crime Stoppers with information, and those who liked and shared the original social media post!”
The six medals belonging to Captain Worthley’s World War II were recovered by South Australia Police during a search of a property in Elizabeth Downs. The medals included the 1939–1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939–1945, and the Australia Service Medal 1939–1945.
Beyond his military service, Worthley was a distinguished tenor and music educator. Born on 19 February 1913 in Adelaide, he initially worked as a bank clerk while pursuing singing. After World War II, he studied at the London Opera School and performed with the English Opera Group, including roles in Benjamin Britten’s productions. In 1953, he returned to Australia, contributing significantly to the country’s opera scene and music education. Later, he became a professor of music and director of opera theatre at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, USA. He passed away on 19 November 1999 in Fayetteville.
Captain Worthley’s life reflects a remarkable tenure of military service and artistic achievement, where, in both fields, he left a lasting legacy.
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