A VERY late issue!

[Terry]

Some time ago a local gentleman showed me his dad's medals, the basic war and victory pair, named to a corporal in a CEF infantry battalion. At the time I was puzzled, as they engraved, not impressed, but didn't say anything to him about renaming.

I recently obtained the corporal's file, and included in it were two documents which had been written much later than everything else. First was a letter to the Canadian Department of Veteran's Affairs, dated 20 Jan.,1988, from my friend. It asked the Minister if there were war medals for his father. Second was a letter dated 8 Feb. from the Government of Canada, with a stamp indicating they had received his inquiry on 27 Jan. It stated "A complete review of your father's service documents indicates that he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal which were engraved and we are pleased to enclose them as they were never issued to him."

Obviously officials took a couple of medals from stock, had them appropriately engraved, and shipped to the son. I was a bit surprised that the father had not been issued his medals automatically, but there are various reasons why that may have happened (government couldn't track him down,etc.); still, it is nice to know that seventy years after the end of the war, the medals were still issued, and it does explain the engraved naming.

The only similar thing I can recall happened in 1975 when my late uncle (corporal RCEME) gave me his medals for World War Two (39-45 and France & Germany stars, Defence, CVSM, and War medals, Canadian Efficiency Medal & clasp). In looking over his service I thought that perhaps he was entitled to a second clasp to his EM; a letter to the Department of National Defence confirmed it, and they enclosed the second clasp! It was a Queens crown type, but I happily added it to my uncle's EM.

[John F]

Terry

My Father had my Uncles First War 1914/15 Trio issued to him in December 2003. My Uncle was in the Royal Naval Division and they had to apply for their medals.