Sailor bashed, war medals stolen

MELBOURNE - An Australian sailor has been robbed of his service medals during a night on the town with navy mates over Anzac weekend.

The 36-year-old suffered a bruised head during a night out in Geelong where he awoke in the streets to find his three medals and service hat were missing late Sunday night, police said.

The Persian Gulf veteran had been at a Geelong nightclub about a block from the war ship HMAS Ballarat, which had been docked at the city's main pier for Anzac Day ceremonies.

Police are investigating if the thieves knocked the sailor to the ground or if they took the medals while he was passed out.

The sailor has no memory of the incident and had been drinking heavily during the big night out.

Geelong's RSL president Rodney Meeke says the "low lifes" behind the theft have shown no respect for service members during such an important weekend.

"These medals are of a personal nature for each service person," he told AAP.

"It's a reward for service to our country. To take them is really, really low. I call them low lifes. They're scum."

He said the incident also sours what had been an honour to have the war ship docked for the city's Anzac Day march.

"They had been received very, very well by the public and for this to happen here puts a slight on Geelong and the type of people who are out late at night."

The sailor is missing his Iraq Campaign Medal, Australian Service Medal and Australian Active Service Medal.

His white hat from a tour of duty on the HMAS Warramunga is also missing.

HMAS Ballarat is due to leave port on Tuesday and the sailor will have to order replica medals, which will not be engraved with his personal details.

Detective Senior Constable Simon Keogh says the sailor suffered a bruised head and police are trying to piece together what happened.

"It could be that he's passed out and someone has taken the medals," he told AAP.

"We just don't know at this stage."

The man had been unconscious on the street for only a few minutes and arrived back at his ship around 11.15pm.

The Geelong RSL says whoever took the medals can return them to the RSL branch.

"All we would ask is if someone took them if they could return them to the RSL and no action will be taken," Mr Meeke said.

- AAP