Leak struggled his whole life with his experiences from World War I , and was reluctant to talk about them for many years . One of his sons observed that , " World War One destroyed him " . He did not attend reunions or Anzac Day marches , and faded into obscurity . Later in life he shared some of his experiences with his children , remembering lost mates and also those he had killed . He stored his VC in a box in his bedroom and it largely stayed there . In 1953 , Leak was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal . In 1964 , Ada died suddenly . Two years later , a fake VC with Leak 's name engraved on it surfaced in Melbourne , Victoria ; the dealer was fined for being in possession of a forged VC . On 20 October 1972 , Leak died at Redwood Park and was buried alongside Ada in the Stirling cemetery . A street in Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera , Queensland , is named after him
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
John Leak