Reginald James Chard, Australia’s last surviving Kokoda campaign veteran, has died at the age of 102, multiple outlets report. The RSL confirms his death, describing him as the final living link to the Kokoda campaign. ABC and other publications identify him as Reginald Chard, OAM, and note that his passing marks the end of an era for surviving veterans of the World War II Kokoda campaign.
Several outlets frame the significance of his death in terms of national remembrance, while keeping the focus on biographical and factual details such as his age and status as the last living Kokoda veteran. The reports do not add new, disputed information about the circumstances of his death, but consistently emphasize his role as the final survivor from that campaign. Collectively, the coverage reflects broad agreement that Chard’s death brings the number of living Kokoda campaign veterans in Australia to zero, concluding the remaining firsthand connection to the campaign.
