Ninety-seven year old Darby Illingworth received a certificate of grateful thanks for his service on Monday.

The commendation was available to all living men and women who served in World War II.

Read more: Bendigo went mad with joy the day World War II ended

His daughter organised a presentation ceremony on the first day families were allowed to visit their relatives in aged care, after COVID-19 restrictions eased.

June Andrew said her father was humble about the commendation, only wishing that thousands of deceased service people could receive it too.

Mrs Andrew said her father served in the Royal Australian Airforce in New Guinea, the Pacific islands and within Australia. He joined in 1942, aged 19.

Mr Illingworth has been an office holder with the Mitiamo-East Loddon RSL sub-branch nearly every year since the war's end, and involved with Bendigo Legacy.

Mr Illingworth now lives with his wife Ailsa in the Royal Freemasons Kangaroo Flat. The pair celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary in February.

Mrs Andrew said it meant a lot to see her father honoured for his service.

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She organised a small ceremony especially for her father, who received the medal from Legacy friend Frank Chambers.

"I know just how much of his time over the last 75 years he's devoted to looking after people who didn't make it in the war," Mrs Andrew said.

"It just means a lot to me that he's been recognised for his service during the war and after the war.

"He's basically devoted his whole life to it. And he's helped hundreds and hundreds of war widows and their families over the years."

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