Our Aim …
To honour & revive the memory of deceased and forgotten veterans whose medals when found, we aim to reunite with their family or a near descendant, and
To use our collective military experience, contacts and research skills in conjunction with a national and world-wide network of resources, to trace descendants to whom we can return ancestors medals and military related heirlooms.
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”
Ian Martyn – Nelson
Founder / Director / Website Administrator
As a former career serviceman of both the New Zealand and Australian military forces (NZ Army, RNZAF and RAAF) and a Returned Veteran, I have always been acutely aware that military medals represent not only a story of service and of sacrifice, but often are the only visible and tangible connection to a military veteran ancestor a descendant family may be left with.
I started MRNZ with the aim of boosting public awareness for honouring the memory and service of the countless uniformed men and women Veteran’s, many long forgotten, whose medals I saw being sold on the internet, in markets, 2nd-hand shops and other retail outlets. Why were these medals not with the descendant families of the Veterans who had earned them, particularly as many had made paid the ultimate price by making the supreme sacrifice? Was that not enough to warrant careful family guardianship of their medals with which to honour their memory?
The reasons I discovered were many and varied however there were some common themes. Medals that were being sold most often represented Veterans (particularly of World War 1) who had lost their medals or had them stolen. A smaller proportion sold them by necessity, in need of funds in their old age as the costs of living climb. Some medals were sold by descendant family members who either had no knowledge (or interest) of their Veteran ancestors, or had no sense of the historic or sentimental value medals might have for members of their family. For others (including thieves), medals are simply an attractive and very saleable commodity that represent easy money for those who have no conscience or habits that require feeding.
It was clear to me that if my experience while attempting to locate my own great-grandfather’s medals was anything to go by, there must be many like me who would welcome an opportunity to recover missing family medals. My focus was medals that were named and present, in other words I was not going to try and find lost medals. There were enough named medals in circulation that were longer in family ownership to which I could apply my expertise. I ran a trial to return a few medals I collected over my years of military service. It was clear to me after the first few attempts descendant families welcomed the opportunity to have any family related medals returned to them, and particularly those who believed their family medals were gone forever. Some were excited to learn for the first time that they actually had a Veteran ancestor, one they had never heard of, and one who had also earned medals! This was an unexpected bonus to my trial – reconnecting families.
Being able to honour the memory of a Veteran ancestor on Anzac Day or Armistice Day can be a very emotional experience and never more so than when wearing their medals. The reactions I observed through the trial convinced me I was on the right path.
By reuniting more medals with descendant kin, we hope to reinvigorate interest in the custody and care of family medals to prevent future loss. Medals by their very nature are a slice of a persons history, a tangible link to the Veteran that can promote family kinship and raise a Veteran’s profile in the family’s consciousness.
There can be no better way to honour a Veteran’s memory than by safeguarding according their medals the status of precious taonga, and to wear them with dignity and pride on appropriate occasions. Lest We Forget.
Brian Ramsay, BEM (Mil) – Nelson
Medal Mounting
Brian is a very experienced former Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) soldier and RNZAF NCO who provides valuable assistance to the success of MRNZ. Brian being Nelson born and bred, is well known in the community and an additional point of contact for Veterans and members of the public seeking the service MRNZ offers.
In addition he has a lengthy involvement with Nelson’s No.23 Air Cadet Squadron. A former NZCF officer, Brian is the ‘mover and shaker’ who organises the combined NZ Cadet Force units in Nelson for the annual Poppy Day collection appeal on behalf of the Nelson RSA. Prior to Anzac Day, the memory of every Veteran is honoured in each of Nelson’s military cemetery sections with a Poppy placed on every grave by the Cadets. On Anzac Day itself, Brian marshal’s the Air Cadet Squadron and other supporters to provide organisational and ceremonial support for the Dawn Service at the Nelson cenotaph in Anzac Park, for the Queen’s Gardens Boer War memorial, and for subsequent ceremonies during the morning at the Marsden Valley Serviceman’s Cemetery and the RSA Section of the Wakapuaka Cemetery. (see below – Brian’s Medal Mounting Service)
Andrea Ruddick – United Kingdom
P/T Researcher
Andrea being domiciled in the UK, voluntarily offered her skills as a result of inquiries made of her to from an inquiry request I floated on the internet. Since then, Andrea, a keen genealogist and market research expert, has used her skills to assist us in isolating the correct families in the United Kingdom and connecting with them for UK medals found in NZ. This is an inherently difficult task to achieve from this side of the planet. Andrea’s knowledge of records, the geography and her professional expertise has proven most helpful as so many WW1 medals in particular, were named to single men who had emigrated from the UK (on their OE) and just happened to be in NZ when the war broke out. Many of these men served with the New Zealand military forces in preference to returning to England to enlist.
Mike Stanley – Dunedin
NZDipCon (QS), NZIQS (Affil)
P/T Researcher
Mike is an engineering professional who joined the team on a part-time basis as result of a medal we returned to him that had belonged to his grandfather. A keen genealogist of his own family’s lengthy history in Dunedin, Mike’s enjoys the investigative ‘chase’. His wide ranging knowledge of Southland and Otago’s history and its peoples, together with his research expertise, has resulted in some of the more difficult family descendant traces being resolved.
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Brian’s Medal Mounting Service
To contact Brian direct : 021-0234-3312
Brian is an accomplished medal mounting professional who mounts medals for Veterans on behalf of the Nelson RSA. He will also mount/re-mount medals for members of the public on request. Brian is able to re-ribbon, clean, lacquer and mount medals in Swing/Free or Court style, as well as having medals repaired and replaced if necessary. If required, medal framing and Replica medals, both full size and miniature, can be sourced.
If you require your medals:
- Mounted (Swing or Court style) on a brooch bar for wearing
- Re-mounted, ribbons replaced, or additional medals added to an existing medal or group
- Repaired or the brooch bar replaced, or
- Full size or miniature, or replacements for missing/lost medals
- Replica medals or medal groups for gifts to family members …. then Brian can help you. While Brian does not personally frame medals for wall displays, we have a local craftsman who is skilled in our specific requirements. If you would like to know more, you can phone Brian directly, send him an email, or use the Contact Form to outline your needs.
Please do not ask Brian to mount unofficial or self-purchased medals on the same medal bar as your official medals, as refusal may offend.
Replacement Medals
Please note the NZDF does not replace medals that have been lost, stolen, destroyed or are broken. Current policy states that medals will only be replaced for persons who are still serving. Replacement medals (genuine, as issued by NZDF) are manufactured to order by an international NZDF contractor. These may be ordered from the NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals (PAM) department at Trentham. Replica (copy) medals, both full size and miniature, can also be purchased by anyone from commercial retailers who can be found on the internet by entering: replica nz war medals.
How much will it cost ?
Brian’s service is the cheapest in the country. No charge is made for his time or labour. Brian will charge only the cost price of any (replica) medals & ribbons you may require, a mounting brooch bar (if medals are to be worn) or mounting board, depending on the style of mounting you require, cleaning/lacquering materials used, plus P & P. The overall cost can be further reduced if Brian is able to re-use any existing medal ribbons or mounting bar you have provided.
Please Note: Brian is an independent contractor whose medal mounting service is provided at ‘cost’. Brian’s mounting service is separate from the research and medal returns MRNZ is established for with no revenue whatsoever being derived from Brian’s operation. This ensures MRNZ’s raison d’etre of being a self-funded service for the purpose of reuniting medals with descendant families, remains 100% not-for-profit and free from any fees or charges.
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A sample of Brian’s medal mounting:
