56764 ~ CHARLES HENRY GARTNER This is another story whose success was directly attributable to posts we place on the Auckland War Memorial Museum's Cenotaph website of digitized WW1 veteran's files. This case involved a medal which belonged to a man whose ancestors were a well known pioneer family in the Dannevirke and Marlborough and Tasman areas by men … [Read more...]
CHARLES HENRY GARTNER ~ Bushman, Axeman, Feller, Sawyer, Trimmer, Mill Hand, Saw Doctor – it was in his blood.
August 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
“STOLEN WW2 MEDALS” ~ Trade-Me Auction, 20 Aug 2018
August 22, 2018 By
!! ~ STOLEN MEDALS SOLD ON TRADE-ME ~ !! ~ 20 August 2018 ~ Medals named to NZ4312786 Leading Aircraftman George FIRMAN - 40 Sqn, RNZAF died on air operations in September 1945 while he was travelling home after the war from Espirito Santo where he had been serving. The Dakota aircraft went missing and was lost with all aboard; no trace was ever … [Read more...]
PTE. SAMUEL CHASE ~ 17 August 2018 ~ UPDATE
August 19, 2018 By
A shell-shocked soldier from the Hawkes Bay, buried in an unmarked grave in Nelson, is to have his WW1 service remembered and honoured. When Private Samuel Chase returned to his home in Takapau after the war he was 'damaged', seriously damaged. He tried to control and suppress the horrors he had been exposed to but Sam's 'scars of war' ran deep and … [Read more...]
JAMES CYRIL HENLEY ~ The race to stop a highly decorated 2NZEF soldier’s medals from leaving New Zealand.
August 9, 2018 By
7095 ~ JAMES CYRIL HENLEY In the Beginning ... A phone call a few days after Anzac Day this year from a rather distressed lady (M.) from Napier resulted in her relating to me the story of her family’s anguish after discovering their deceased father’s war medals were missing. Upon further questioning, M. said that she had found out the medals had been … [Read more...]
AMY JULIA METGE ~ NZ Hospital Ship nurse’s medal offered up by a collector is reunited with Northcote family.
August 1, 2018 By
22/314 ~ AMY JULIA METGE From time to time I come across New Zealand military medals offered by a collector which have an unusual surname I am unfamiliar with. Recently one caught my eye and as I do first, is to consult the AWMM Cenotaph website for some personal background. In this particular case a British War Medal was named to a WW1 nurse "METGE" … [Read more...]
ARTHUR JAMES CONYNGHAM ~ Auctioned war medals & ephemera of a WW1 Medic rescued at the 11th hour.
July 26, 2018 By
60075 ~ ARTHUR JAMES CONYNGHAM A recent scan of medal related websites turned up a pair of WW1 medals and some other items of ephemera of a New Zealand soldier that were about to be auctioned. Not an unusual occurrence so out of pure interest I looked up the soldier’s service file to learn something about him his service. In checking the file the … [Read more...]
ALFRED HENRY RETIMANA ~ A burglary and Trade-Me purchase of a Malaysian campaign veteran’s medal goes full circle.
July 5, 2018 By
340572 ~ ALFRED HENRY RETIMANA The purchase from TradeMe of a General Service Medal, 1918-1962 with clasp MALAYA by a private collector some 10 years ago was recently sent to MRNZ, now being surplus to the collector's requirements. Unlike the campaign medals and stars issued for Second World War service, all official medals issued after the WW2 were named … [Read more...]
ARTHUR BARRIE DOBBS ~ One of 63,033 CMT conscripts under the Military Training Act, 1949 gets medal in time for ANZAC Day.
June 25, 2018 By
897491 ~ ARTHUR BARRIE DOBBS An unclaimed New Zealand Defence Force Service Medal (NZ DSM) for a soldier who had been conscripted under the CMT scheme in the 1950s has been united with the now retired Fairlie farmer.Barrie DOBBS has lived his whole in South Canterbury. Born in Waimate, Barrie as he is known is the son of a Waimate farmer Henry … [Read more...]
ARTHUR HEMMING CURREY ~ “The Box” – a WW1 Artilleryman’s mementos from Gallipoli & the Somme are reunited.
June 6, 2018 By
2/1481 & D6341 ~ ARTHUR HEMMING CURREY To 12 year old Arthur Hemming Currey the visible face of the NZ Military Forces in 1908 Auckland were the Artillery units that were stationed at Fort Takapuna (included North Head). By 1912 Arthur (16) was working as a carter for J.J. Craig & Co. on the Auckland waterfront, and at the same time occupied his … [Read more...]
FREDERICK SMITH ~ Brothers who were fatally wounded at Gallipoli, died 50 years apart.
May 17, 2018 By
8/293 ~ FREDERICK SMITH This particular case struck a chord with me almost as soon as I had started the research. As I delved into Fred Smith’s life I discovered several coincidences which indirectly linked me personally to the Smith family. These I will relate at the end of this story.Emma M. of Amberley in North Canterbury and husband Dion … [Read more...]
