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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Returning Lost Medals


Glyn Llanwarne

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Hello every one,

I recently attended the Melbourne Pals gathering and several members of this forum who also attended suggested that I use this forum to expand exposure of my hobby of returning lost medals. I live in Australia so focus on medals awarded to Australian servicemen however, I do have several that have come my way that were awarded to British servicemen.

I have been doing this for about 6 years and to my knowledge the only person in Australia doing so on an almost full time basis. To date I've returned 201 medals ranging from Boer War campaign medals to a Military Cross. I also do this free of charge so any assistance is greatly appreciated.

My main aim for posting my latest list is to see if any other forum memebrs have details on any of these chaps, or if a family member does a search of a name they can contact me.

Yours in service,

LTCOL Glyn Llanwarne

Boxer Rebellion

AB E O’Connell NSW Naval Contingent

World War 1

3186 PTE George William Adams 29th Bn AIF

4971 SGT Dalgairns Outram Anderson 35th Bn AIF

3678 CPL Arthur Fredrick Atkins 15th Bn AIF

2530 PTE Matthew Alexander Baxter 14th Bn AIF

2002 LCPL A S Bridge 1st Light Horse Regt (WWII Q64212)

23 SGT Alfred Keith Button 2 Mobile Vet Section AIF

613 PTE Samuel Caldwell 41st Bn AIF

4524 W Cleaver (British)

2136 PTE Frank Hedley Gordon Coomber 28th Bn AIF

3265 SPR F Conners

2139 PTE E Crossland 47th Bn AIF

21904 PTE S Cryer (British)

395 PTE Cecil Harold Davis 3rd LH

M2-1751203 PTE B Davis ASC (British)

25623 DVR A Dixon 2 DAC AIF

5763 PTE Leo Campbell Dempsey

6736 PTE George Dempsey

14420 PTE R Dudgeon (British)

2646 PTE William Vincent Flanagan 47th Bn AIF

4789 PTE James Ford 15th Battalion

325 PTE John Collin Goodall

4061 PTE Andrew James Griffin 4th Bn AIF

3099 PTE George Grace

11204 SGT John Gordan Harris 3rd Mot Tpt Coy AIF

343 PTE William Francis Holloway 26th Bn AIF

607 LCPL Sydney Hopkins 15th Bn AIF

803 WO2 George Lewis Horne 26th Bn AIF

509 CPL Roman Ilupmaggi 2nd Sig Tp/ 2nd LH Bde – 4th Bn

1234 PTE Robert Jamieson Jordon 22nd Bn AIF

4912 PTE G Kay 53rd Bn AIF

32526 DVR Richard George Maiden AFA, AIF

LT Kenneth Alexander MacLeod 13th Bn AIF

6578 CPL F J S A Man 20th Bn AIF

3487 PTE J Marlow 15th Bn AIF

3378 PTE Harry Ernest Miller 15th Bn AIF 39th Bn AIF

2596 PTE Ernest Mulholland 39th Bn AIF

3625 PTE J A Nelson 2nd Bn AIF

D Ogilvie Royal Navy

23/552 RFLM D Pattrick NZEM

M1-08623 PTE C.C. Pearson A.S.C. (British)

3808 PTE J Peel 1st Bn AIF

3452 PTE R Peel 1st Bn AIF

7535 PTE W Pearce 3rd Bn AIF

1511 PTE Reginald James Robertson 24th Bn

860 PTE Stanley Seaton Scott 6th Bn AIF

50227 PTE E. Snell KRRC (British)

740 Dvr F Sutherland Royal Engineers (British)

Charles H Taylor MN

1195 SPR James Daniel Waddington 3rd Tunnel Coy AIF

3533 PTE James Henry Douglas Wigginton 1st Bn

3504 PTE William George Wright 6th Bn AIF

Z/4286 AB Andrew Whyte Watson RN (WWII NX131477)

World War II

33055 George Henry Abbott

QX17878 Phillip Bass

SX28928 Leslie James Benton

NX53604 Roy Cecil Bolton

136273 Wallace Reginald Campbell

N273320 Henry Joseph Chivers

NX140008 Leonard Edward Foster

NX114983 C A Gersback

29616 Thomas George Hardwick

QX22279 R A Hammond

Q39556 Hugh Ferguson Jones

NX206804 Paul Lennox Lawther

90721 Iris May Langley

14055 Henry Frederick Lee RAN MID

NX131474 T M Lahiff

C.F.R. MacGregor MN

QX49183 Duncan Thomas McGregor

NX 23236 R T Madden

QX10897 Robert James McKnight

VX57246 Leo Alphonsus Morrissy

QX11131 J J Morrison

31454 A Murrish (British?)

VX11338 J A O’Donohue

NX109001 P O’Halloran

WX13051 Norman Henry Parker

VX78605 F C Pike

QX18465 W Quinn

NX84054 Jack Nelson Rogers

QX 15327 Stewart Raymond Sergent

VX74647 Robert John Slyth

QX16468 Terence Edward Downing Webster

W28643 PTE Gilbert Young

Vietnam War

215236 PTE R J Jackson 1 and 2 RAR

5716530 J.A. Lawson 17 Construction Sqn

A58012 J Potter RAAF

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welcome to the forum

returning 201 medals in 6 years is pretty amazing, but do you mean returning to the family or reuniting groups ?

Cheers

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Hello Coldstreamer,

Thank you for your kind words. All these medals have been returned either to the veterans or, if the veteran is deceased, their family. In some cases the medal/s I have returned has reunited a group but this has always been with the family.

The attached link might explain a bit more:

http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/ed...ies/story12.htm

I've tried to add the scanned copy of another stroy but I can't quite work that out yet.

Yours in service,

Glyn

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I see - thanks for the link

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Nice idea , but not too popular with the medal collectors who feel that the families care less about their ancestors medals than they do. Its a sad fact that even today people sell their and their families medals. So good luck with your efforts. By the way, Glyn and anything with LL in it has got be be a Taff so wecome to the Taffs on site! gareth

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I have some sympathy with Gareth's view. I watched 'Flog it' a UK antiques show where members of the public bring in old things to be valued and sold at Auction. Last nights, from Newport, saw a woman sell her uncles WW1 trio WW2 Defence Medal and EIIR Coronation for less than £70. I feel great sadness when I see this happening. Her reason for selling them was that they just sat in a drawer. No sense of history or bequeathing these hard earned decorations to future family generations.

very sad!

Mark

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over heard at Old Sarum today, couple of re-inactors talking to public, are any of your kit copies or real. discussion then went on to house clearers offering low prices to families of next of kin.

I think what you find nowadays is that the 'oldies' realise they can get money for certain items so take it as they have to live today. Wheras the 'younger generation' have lost touch with family life, mainly as a result of schooling having to drop the more educational non priority parts in exchange for physics and algebra which 95% will never use in life.

we used to get 100 apprentices start every year in the early 1970's, now there are none. instead of getting a recognised certificate that says I know how to file, drill , and create items from blank while the modern new starters just load and press buttons. They then get a certificate NVQ which is recognised by future employers as being competant on that machine, instead of an outright endorsed apprentice ship where you have been trained to make something.

my point being that propper family values and ties have been broken for good, instead of a family get together you bump into each other. When mother died in November dad was upset because there were only about 20 at the funeral, bear in mind he was youngest of 13 mum was middle of 7. in the years past we had family xmas's nowadays we are lucky to get 20 xmas cards from family.

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Are you going for any cost recovery at all?

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Fortunately here in Oz, there has been a resurgence in young people wanting to know about WW1. The rising attendences at Anzac Day Marches, and trips to Gallipoli by the younger generations mean that they are asking questions, and want to know what Gt/ Grandfather did in the war. If they are lucky, the family still has the medals and the kids know what the medals mean.

Regards

Kim

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As I have a small collection of medals I suppose I am a medal collector but I also applaude this course of action. I hope I speak for others like me by saying that this is fine as long as the family members who receive the medals back cherish and honour them in the spirit with which they were sent and do not put them on Ebay next year!!

John

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Hello again,

There are several questions here so I'll answer in order.

Yes I'm of Welsh heritage, my Grandfather moved out here following WWI. He served with the RE. However, the ability to sing has been bred out of me.

No, I attempt no cost recovery. I started out purchasing medals (which can be expensive) but now I get so many referals from the AWM, RSL or by word of mouth I don't have to buy any medals. I can now use my resources for research. I've had some very kind donations that pay for postage but I don't seek any payment at all.

Of all the families I've contacted I've not had any negitave responses. All have been very appreciative. I haven't sensed that any would sell for a quick dollar after I've returned the medals. As Kim said we have had a huge increase in interest in that part of our national history over recent years. The three main reason for medals not being with the veteran or the decendant is they have been stolen, sold or lost. If stolen or lost then the family didn't want them gone and if sold then the later generations want them back.

I also get contacted by many people who are trying to locate missing medals. This is very hard and I have only been successful on one occasion when I saw a set I was looking for on ebay.

I understand why medals are sold and why people collect them. I have no problem with this at all. I'm just glad that people take an interest in a persons service for their country. I'm interested in medals that are found at the tip, picked up from the gutter after ANZAC Day, recovered from a house break in or any number of other reason they are not with the veteran or their family. If people then provide them to me to return I'll make every effort to do so. I have established a very helpful network of contacts amongst different research groups as well as working out to unlock old records (Australian at least) which makes this type of research that little bit easier.

I really appreciate the comments I've had and the chance to converse with you all.

Yours in service,

Glyn

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Thats great Glyn keep up the good work. Do you think you may be able to reunite the Ashes with the Australain cricket team? I know they think its theirs but they had they had them pinched last time they visited the UK :D:P

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Thats fighting talk.... but we will probably let them have it back as we are kind hearted.... :rolleyes:

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As I have a small collection of medals I suppose I am a medal collector but I also applaud this course of action. I hope I speak for others like me by saying that this is fine as long as the family members who receive the medals back cherish and honour them in the spirit with which they were sent and do not put them on Ebay next year!!

John

John - I entirely agree with you and I hope no one makes any money pf the back of this -

but better the medals are appreciated than sat in a draw going green

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I'm a huge cricket fan and was devastated that we lost the Ashes. However, I think that the English victory was a very good result for cricket.

Here is that really sad part of this tale. I currently live about 500km north of Melbourne. Easy driving distance; so I arranged to attend the upcoming Boxing Day Test againt England at the MCG with a friend who is a member. I've recently been posted and have to move at short notice to Townsville which is about 4000km north of Melbourne so plans to go to the cricket are total destroyed.

I'll have to rely on the TV.

Yours in service,

Glyn

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Who mentioned the Ashes???? Roland will be dropping in soon, he has a sixth sense about the Ashes.

Coldstreamer, Going green in the drawer may not necessarily mean they do not mean something to the family.

Kim

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Wheras the 'younger generation' have lost touch with family life, mainly as a result of schooling having to drop the more educational non priority parts in exchange for physics and algebra which 95% will never use in life.

I don't wish to divert the topic of this thread but I'm intrigued by your assertion that 'Physics' and 'algebra' are to blame for the 'younger generation' losing touch with 'family life'....would you care to elaborate?

Secondly, I was under the impression that the number of youngsters studying Physics, both in schools and at a higher level, is in general decline in this country.

Ed

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Wheras the 'younger generation' have lost touch with family life, mainly as a result of schooling having to drop the more educational non priority parts in exchange for physics and algebra which 95% will never use in life.

....my point being that proper family values and ties have been broken for good, instead of a family get together you bump into each other

I would consider the breakdown in Family ties has more to do with Cannabis & Cocaine being widely available outside the School gates & teenage pregancies where no father figure enters the equation,apart from the act of procreation,than wether the kids have been taught the Humanities,as opposed to the Sciences...

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Several intriguing threads emerging here .. firstly I think it is applaudable to reunite families with lost medals - (presumably one checks to see if they want them first!) I wish someone would do the same for me! In my experience family medals were sold by one individual, without asking the rest of the family what they thought about them. I also suspect that for many in the Great War the memories were so painful that being awarded a medal seemed to bring back vivid images they might prefer to deal with alone. Certainly my family did not speak of their involvement in the war much - too modest perhaps?? It doesn't mean they weren't proud of their medals, does it?

Also as a 'young person' I feel extremely emotional about my relatives and ancestors and the varying parts that they played in our nation's history. Every soldier / sailor / airman has an interesting story to be told, and to have their artifacts is exciting, interesting and honours their memory. I beleive increasingly more youngsters are taking an interest in such matters - and if nothing else we are extremely lucky never to have witnessed warfare on such a scale during our lifetimes. (I'm a post WW2 and can only just recall the Falklands!)

Thirdly, as a high school teacher, I understand the perceptions of teenagers being represented, but I can also speak in favour of the large amount of 'youth' who are sensitive to the global political and military situation, and for whom terrorism is a catalyst into contemplating the concept and impact of war. A large amount of study in history is given over to examining sources from the WWs (I believe). I have even managed to weave some historical empathy into my performing arts lessons!!

Finally (now I've finished my mini-speech) how would I know what numbers / etc would be engraved on my relatives medals if I wanted to search for them? Do the medal cards contain clues?? Forgive my ignorance - but I'm new to this, and am still only a Corporal!!

Thanks

Suzie

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Just gleaned a little extra on the First World War British men named above, all from NA online. Might be of interest to our regimental experts/enthusiasts.

Pte. 14420 Ralph Dudgeon, Coldstream Guards

Pte. 4524 William Cleaver, Bedfordshire Regt.(also Pte. 617733, London Regt.)

Pte. 21904 Samuel Cryer, Border Regt.

Pte. M1/08623 Charles C Pearson, ASC Indian Cavalry Supply Column

Pte. 50227 Ernest Snell, KRRC (also 325950, London Regt.)

Drv. 740 Forbes Sutherland, RE (also 406324, RE)

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...how would I know what numbers / etc would be engraved on my relatives medals if I wanted to search for them? Do the medal cards contain clues?? Forgive my ignorance - but I'm new to this, and am still only a Corporal

Corporal Suzie!

Yes the Index Cards would contain details such as Number,Rank,Regiment etc; as impressed on the Medals.

if the person in question has transferred to other Unit then a X with dots betwixt the arms is usually written by the details that were to be impressed.

Good luck! ;)

[The problems arise when names are "common" when sometimes many can have served in the same regiment & 1000s in the Army,as a whole~Harold Jones;Albert Smith, etc]

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Ed and Harry

I wrote a long reply but have deleted as its off topic.

suffice to say (younger generations) , todays houses are so small where would you put family heirlooms if you could afford a house and (older generations) allways uunder threat of break ins .

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Suzie, if you have medals the number and regiment only applies to original regiment he enlisted in. Ive found this out recently from other forum members after searching for my relatives and finding them transferred to other regiments.

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Thank you - further inspection of the medal cards reveals te following:

Pte Alfred James Haines 357073 Hamps regt. Mutt and Jeff

Lance Corp Henry Haines 20796 and then 203761(this is his SWB card) 1/8 Worcestershire Regt. Mutt, Jeff and SWB. On the stamped section where the Victory and British Medal referecnes are filled in, he has the symbol you have described - does this mean he would have transferred into the Worcs. from somewhere else, seeing as this is the SWB card, (can't seem to locate his full medal card!)

Pte Albert Hartiss 15708 1st Worcestershire Regt. Pip, Squeak and Wilfred (?!) and SWB

Pte Francis Henry Hartiss 20422 9th Worcestershire Regt. Pip, Squeak and Wilfred (aldso says Z.A.R in remarks)

Lt Quartermaster / Hon Capt Edwin Joseph Langridge 1st Batt N. Staffs Rgt ; also RFC. His medal card is all over the place, with MiDs (have sourced these in London Gazette with thanks to members of this forum) and various cancellations, returns and reissues!! He did move around alot so i wonder if it caused a problem.

Also he was awarded an MBE, but this isn't on the card?! From his RFC records I think his number was either 1908 or 1980 - but it isn't really made very clear!

Am I right in thinking, then, that any medals would have name and number stamped on the rim, or is this only is they are asterisked on the medal card??

Any help in locating any of the above very welcome!!!

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