War veterans who have been fighting for decades to receive a service pension are hoping the recruitment of some high profile lawyers will improve their chances.
16,000 Australians took part in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force that was sent to Japan in 1946 to carry out a range of duties, including disarming the Japanese.
They say the government of the day promised them the same pension and medical benefits as those servicemen who actually fought during World War Two.
But the veterans say 600 of them never received their entitlements.
A decision by the Hawke government in 1986 to repeal the Repatriation Act of 1920 saw the men lose the entitlement and it's been the subject of numerous reviews by successive governments since then.
Now, the former Federal Court judge Bob Ellicott has offered his services to the veterans pro bono to argue their case with the federal government.
Max Burgess served in the BCOF when he was 18 year old.
The 87-year-old is one of the surviving veterans fighting for the entitlement.
He told Greg Dyett many of those who served in Japan died of cancer, which they blame on exposure to radioactive material.
(Click on the audio tab above to hear the full interview)
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