The head of the Australian War Memorial says a tip-off saved two gravestones belonging to World War II diggers from being sold at auction. 

A war memorial staff member went undercover at the sale to buy back the tombstones of George Cross recipients Benjamin Hardy and Ralph Jones. 

They were put up for auction by a war memorabilia collector.

War Memorial Director Doctor Brendan Nelson told Tony Jones they were remarkable Australians.

‘We decided we would go in and get them,’ he said.

‘You’ve got to ask yourself what sort of person would want to profit from auctioning off headstones from highly decorated Australians?’

The War Memorial was able to buy them for $325.

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