MEDALS ~ LOST & FOUND

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEDALS ~ LOST  &  FOUND

 

New Zealand sailors, soldiers, airmen, and women have seen and fought in many conflicts since colonial times, their valour earning numerous awards for gallantry and bravery.  It is a tragedy that large numbers of their medals have been separated from descendant kin, thereby depriving them of the taonga of their valiant ancestor, many of whom paid the ultimate price.  

 

The importance of your ancestor’s medals

When we commemorate the service and sacrifices of the men, women and animals who served during the Boer War, First World War (the so called “Great War” and “the war to end all wars”– it was neither great, nor did it end all wars) and all wars and conflicts since, we do so by honouring their memory, and in particular, those whose lives were cut short by their ‘Supreme Sacrifice’.  It was they, the people of this country, who answered the call to fight (and die) for the security of the free world and to preserve the freedoms we continue to enjoy. 

“Do you know if your ancestors had military service?  ~  More importantly, do you know where their medals are?”

Honouring their memory

We, the descendants of those men and women, have an obligation to never forget their contribution.  Medals are the tangible evidence of their service and sacrifice.  We can do them no greater honour than to wear these with pride whenever we Remember and Honour our veterans.

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Do you have a Question?  

Email us here >> [email protected] 

Or, send us a Message >> CONTACT FORM

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MEDALS ~ LOST, FOUND & DONATED

MEDALS ~ LOST

The most recent additions to the Medals~LOST page are at the top of the list.  They are NOT in alphabetical order.  Only medals (or items of ephemera) of families or descendants who have registered their missing items with MRNZ will be listed.  These may have been accidentally lost, stolen or are missing for an unknown reason.  Medals that are the subject of a Police Report made by you as the result of theft, burglary, accidental loss or medals otherwise missing for unknown reasons, should be included in your request as it  may affect your claim to ownership should the medals be found.

Medal groups: a group of medals (two or more) listed on the page may span more than one period of conflict, e.g. WW1 and WW2.  In these cases the listing of this group will appear on the page of the earliest issued medal. 

Example:  The LOST medal group comprises a WW1 Trio plus two WW2 medals.  These medals would be listed here:  LOST – NZ ~ WW1: 1914–1920. 

If you are in possession of a medal(s) named to a person on this list and wish it to be returned to family, or know of the whereabouts of a medal(s) named on this list, we would welcome your phone call, text or email. 

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Family descendants have registered the medals listed below as either missing or stolen.  If you have any of these and would like to negotiate a return/buy-back, please contact us.  

• • LOST 1 ~ NZ & WORLD ~ Victorian Medals: 1850 – 1913
  • LOST 2 ~ NEW ZEALAND ~ WW1: 1914 – 1920 + Interwar: 1921 – 1938 
  • LOST 3 ~ NEW ZEALAND ~ WW2: 1939 – 1945 + Post War: 1946 – Present 
  • LOST 4 ~ WORLD ~ WW1: 1914 – 1920 + Interwar: 1921 – 1938
  • LOST 5 ~ WORLD ~ WW2: 1939 – 1945 + Post War: 1946 – Present

Report your medal loss/theft

If you or a family have lost medals or had them stolen, you should file a report with the NZ Police as soon as possible after the event.  This is important when any medal listed with MRNZ is recovered by the public and handed over to Police as it will quickly establish your identity as the claimant.  It is also very beneficial in making an insurance claim.  If stolen medals are recovered by, or handed in to, Police and subsequently advertised by Police or MRNZ, you will have to establish proof of ownership or entitlement in order to make a claim. 

Pre-owned medals 

On occasions we are contacted by medal owners and collectors who have medals listed on the Medals~LOST pages.  The medals have generally been acquired legitimately by an owner/collector who will want to recover their outlay, to part with them.  If you have registered the lost/missing medals with us, we will contact you.  If you wish to proceed MRNZ will negotiate the Buy-Back on your behalf in order to preserve yours and the seller’s identities and privacy.  MRNZ will discuss details of the transaction which shall be agreed to by both parties before proceeding.  As MRNZ is a 100% not-for-profit and free service, we seek no financial gain or reward for this service, whatsoever. 

Declaration.  To the best of our knowledge, no medal listed below is sought by, or on behalf of any collector, private or commercial medal trader, organisation, or auction house.  No medal or item of ephemera entrusted to MRNZ will ever be disposed of without the authority of you (the owner). 

List a Lost/Missing medal ?

If you would like to list medals lost, missing, stolen, sold or given away, we will list them for FREE.  Only NAMED medals can be listed, the one exception being for a medal group of un-named medals that has at least ONE named medal among them.  Un-named medals are untraceable and even for those that are found, proving ownership can be a fraught process.  Ask us if you encounter these or any other circumstance of which you are unsure of how to proceed – we may have a solution. 

To list a medal (or item of ephemera) please provide the following:

• Your name, email and contact telephone number
• Your residential town, or closest town if living rurally 
• IMPORTANT: was the medal(s) named? – Yes/No
• If Yes – Name and service number, if known.  You will find this detail on documents such as a Discharge Cert or Statement of Service, or the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s “Cenotaph” website.
• Medals – include any known detail such as: name of the medal, or its shape/colour – star, circular, bronze, silver, gold etc and, ribbon colours if known.  A photograph of the medal(s) is the ideal reference.

Medal naming 

First World War service medals (generally 2 or 3) were officially NAMED to each serving individual man or woman and mailed out to them between 1921-1924.  The majority reached their destination except for the medals sent to those persons who did not have a valid “Intended Address” after discharge, were returned to the Defence Dept.   

The same process was not true for Second World War service medals.  WW2 medals were issued UN-NAMED.  Unfortunately this was a governmental decision of the day based on perceived expense given the large number of medals involved which averaged 4-5 medals per person.  The only named medals of the WW2 era were some (not all) medals of distinguished service, gallantry, merit and long service.

Requests to find medals 

MRNZ is often asked if we can find missing or stolen medals.  Whilst we work hard at finding descendants with whom we can reunite the medals that are sent to us, the time involved for these cases alone does not allow for any spare to undertake individual searches.  We routinely monitor a number of internet medal sites for lost and stolen medals, and can provide you with advice on ‘how and where’ to start your own search. 

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MEDALS ~ FOUND

The medals (and items of ephemera) listed have been found or were pre-owned by members of the public, the police, NZRSA, charity shops, clubs, businesses and churches.  These items are either undergoing research for a descendant or are queued to be research.  Items marked “under reunite action” identify that the registered family member or descendant has been contacted and the reuniting process is underway.  When reunited with the registered claimant, entries are marked “Reunited to (…… if overseas), month and year.”  Groups of medals listed on the Medals~FOUND page are listed in the same manner as medal groups on the Medals~LOST page, i.e. on the page of the earliest issued medal in the group.

Example:  A group of six medals is FOUND and includes: the New Zealand War Service Medal 1939/45, British War Medal, 1914-1920 (earliest), General Service Medal 1918-62 with Clasp S.E. ASIA 1945-46, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-18, EIIR Coronation Medal (1953) and a War Medal 1939/45.  These medals would be listed here:  FOUND – NZ ~ WW1: 1914–1920.

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The medals listed in the following pages have all been found and entrusted to MRNZ on Temporary Loan until we can complete the search for descendants.  The named veterans AWMM “Cenotaph” Profile Pages have also been annotated accordingly.  The medals listed may be claimed by proven descendants only (to the the satisfaction of MRNZ), and at no cost ** 

If you have any of these and would like to negotiate a return/Buy-Back, please contact us. 

• FOUND 1 ~ NZ & WORLD ~ Victorian & Edwardian Years: 1850 – 1913
• FOUND 2 ~ NZ ~ WW1: 1914 – 1920 + Interwar: 1921 – 1938
• FOUND 3 ~ NZ ~ WW2: 1939 – 1945 + Post War: 1946 – Present
• FOUND 4 ~ WORLD ~ WW1: 1914 – 1920 + Interwar: 1921 – 1938 
• FOUND 5 ~ WORLD ~ WW2: 1939 – 1945 + Post War: 1946 – Present 
• FOUND 6 ~ Military Ephemera

Note: ** On occasions MRNZ will buy medals from the internet or at auction that are named to New Zealanders (mainly WW1 medals).  We do this for two reasons: first, a preview by MRNZ of the medal recipient’s military and family history leads us to believe we can successfully return the medals to family ownership, and secondly, to secure them from re-sale where there is a delay in our research.  No financial gain is derived by MRNZ for any of these transactions whatsoever.  We seek only to be reimbursed our purchase costs (receipt from the vendor provided) and any international shipping and insurance costs involved.  Domestic freight within NZ is met at our expense.

Claiming a medal

A claim for any of the medals listed may be lodged by simply making contact with MRNZ (each page contains a means of contact).  Documentary proof of your identity and ancestral connection (kinship) to the medal recipient may be required to the satisfaction of MRNZ.  This ensures medals/ephemera go to persons who accord with our research of descendant family related to the original medal recipient.  MRNZ will advise if one or both forms of identity proof are required in each case.  

Identity proof

Include your full name, address, email and mobile or landline telephone number please.  The following may be emailed, posted, scanned or texted: 

• One of the following:  >> copy of claimant’s Passport (only the pages that contain your details and photograph) or, a current Driver’s License (photo side only), PLUS …
• One of the following:  >> copy of  claimant’s Birth or Marriage Certificate, PLUS …
• Sketch or Screen Shot of that portion of the claimant’s family tree that clearly shows the link between the claimant, claimant’s parents and their relationship to the person named on the medal (not required if we can access your on-line family tree).

Medal handover

All medal returns are preceded by a letter of explanation of the origins of the medal, and a resume of the person’s service.  Where possible MRNZ will personally hand over medal(s) or items of ephemera.  Handover by the finder is also encouraged whenever practicable.  In such cases we will return the medal to the finder/donor after making contact with the intended recipient.

The majority of medals we return are couriered door to door if the claimant lives in NZ (signature required if we assess the medals are of high value).  As we are a not-for-profit, free service, international returns that incur freight, GST, customs and/or insurance charges will need to be met by the recipient/claimant.  

Incomplete medal entitlements

If we identify entitled medals to be missing from those we return, we will make some suggestions for replacement.  The missing medals will also be automatically added to the Medals~LOST pages.  Should the medal come to our attention at a later date, we will contact you directly.  

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MEDALS ~ DONATED

Your trust is requested

When I  started MRNZ in May 2014, I undertook a couple of cases to trace descendant families based on trust, i.e. the owners of the medals who wanted to see them returned to the families, retained the medals while the search was undertaken.  It was my expectation the owners would make the medals available once a descendant was found.  After many hours of research, I found and verified the descendant/family.  In both cases the medal owners reneged at the last minute and decided not to part with them.  One refused to send the medals to the family as had been agreed to, and the other simply vanished unable to be traced!  Needless to say I was considerably embarrassed with some explaining to do.  Such circumstances can leave families very angry and confused, and our hard earned reputation potentially in tatters – this I do not need.  

It is vital therefore for the integrity of MRNZ that I am able to guarantee medal(s) or ephemera will be available once a descendant has been located and their identity confirmed.  To that end, I can only guarantee that this happens if we are holding the medals (or ephemera).  These we undertake to hold only on Temporary Loan for the duration of the search.  There are other reasons why it is advantageous for us to temporarily hold these which are outlined below.  See also Acknowledgement.

Have you FOUND a medal?

If you have found a named medal(s) or item of ephemera that you would like to see returned to the descendant family, we can help.  We ask you to entrust us with the the items for the duration of our search to locate a descendant.  This is generally not a quick process and takes account of those queued for research before yours.  Sometimes the search for a descendant may take many months or even years but we do not give up, since new information becomes available all the time.  

Note:  We will also accept any medal sent to MRNZ anonymously – drop into a post bag and address to our PO Box.  Nothing else  required – No questions – No tracing.

Our Procedure 

When a medal is received by MRNZ it is entered into our database with all known information, including that of the donor.  You may be assured that you and your medal find will never be forgotten, provided we have an up to date email or telephone contact.  

• Quick Returns – after recording the medal(s) sent to us in our database, each name receives an immediate ‘once over’ assessment (about an hour) to see if there is any opportunity to effect a speedy return.  Medals are then queued (NZ medals first) in order of their assessed research difficulty… easiest (NZ, Australia) to most difficult (UK & Canada).  Tracing descendants not living in, or born in, New Zealand can make the search a notoriously lengthy process but, we have also been successful.  In such cases please be prepared perhaps for a longer wait than would be usual for a result.  
• Medal Find On-line – medals (and ephemera) we receive are automatically posted on our Medals~LOST+FOUND pages.  A non-specific notice to the effect that we are holding medals (or ephemera) for a particular veteran is also posted on the veteran’s “Cenotaph” Profile Page in the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s on-line database.  Public access to “Cenotaph” helps us to reunite medals more quickly if the notice is seen by a descendant thereby enabling us to short circuit our queued medals await research.  
• Receipt & Temporary Loan – when we receive your medals you will be sent an emailed/posted letter of Receipt & Temporary Loan to confirm the medals (or ephemera) you have sent have arrived safely and will be retained securely by us on Temporary Loan while the descendant search is undertaken.  You remain the Owner of the medal(s) or ephemera until such time as they are reunited with the claimant/family/descendant, sent to a museum, or returned to you (your decision to make).

Temporary Loan

Once a medal or item of ephemera is received by MRNZ you will receive a letter of acknowledgement.  This letter is your proof that we have your items and you identified as the owner.  We treat all items as being on Temporary Loan meaning we take responsibility for all reasonable care and to ensure the security of the medals/ephemera for the duration of the research.  

Temporary Loan also allows us to do the following:

• Check the medal(s) to ensure they are genuine and correctly impressed (named; not re-named originals, duplicates or fakes, machine or laser engraved).
• Assess their condition plus ribbons, suspension and brooch bar etc, so that restoration advice can be offered. 
• Clean (where necessary) and photograph medals before return.  Photographs are used in the summary of service post I write for this website, of each successfully returned medal. 
• Package and document items in accordance with domestic and international postal, courier, air, customs & insurance requirements.

Posting medals to MRNZ

From our experience we have found NZ Courier Post (Track & Trace) to be the most secure and reliable service.  All medals sent to us should be taped and wrapped so there are no rattles or movement of the contents which might lead to the contents being detected by the package’s routine handling while in transit.  We recommend you tape medals to a piece of card twice the size of the medals, sandwich this with another piece of card the same size, tape and wrap securely, place in a NZ Post courier bag. 

Mailing address:  M.R.N.Z. ~ PO Box 8034 ~ NELSON 7010

What happens to medals NOT reunited?

In the event a medal or item of ephemera cannot be returned to a family or descendant (e.g. no descendant located, family died out etc), if not required to be returned to the finder/donor, the medal(s) or ephemera will be sent to the national museum of the arm of service to which the named recipient or owner belonged, e.g. Torpedo Bay Navy Museum (RNZN), National Army Museum (Waiouru), Air Force Museum (Wigram), or their international equivalents.  No medal or item of military ephemera received by MRNZ will ever be sold, swapped, traded with collectors or traders, or otherwise disposed of.  

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