A Long Way From Home – British War Medals Found in Australia

A casual glance through an Antique Store on the south coast of New South Wales (Australia) has revealed two medal sets which are a “Long Way From Home” !!! Whilst there is nothing unusual about the medals themselves, it is testimony to the fact that the war service – of two men from Britain – is not being cherished where it should be. In the hearts and homes of their direct descendants.

There are countless thousands of war service medals being bought and sold around the world each day. The rise of ebay has made the trading of such medals, all the more easier. However it is tragic that these war medals have found their way onto the open market. I often hear the comment “they were sold because the family did not want them”, however I often find this comment to be far from the truth. Just because one descendant has the medals in their possession and decides to sell them, it does not mean that EVERY family member shares the same sentiment. Often, a relative will find out that their ancestor’s war medals have been sold by another family member – long after the sale has taken place. And by then of course, it is too late.

And the average Briton would be appalled to find out, just how many of their countryman’s medals are for sale outside of the U.K. This makes it very hard for a family researcher to locate and recover their lost heritage.

IMAGE RIGHT: Hat badge of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

Subject at hand; the two medal sets found here. One set (a First World War pair – consisting of a British War Medal & a Victory Medal) belongs to a Lancashire Fusilier. The other (a First World War trio – consisting of a 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal) were awarded to a soldier with the 2nd London Regiment. How these war medals came to be in Australia is up for speculation. Perhaps the medal recipient actually emmigrated to this country after the Great War. It was not uncommon for men, born and bred in Britain – to find themselves in “the colonies” when the Second World War broke out. Many even enlisted in the Australian Armed Forces and served as dominion troops. Or perhaps the military medals were passed down to their heirs, who then chose to settle away from the ‘mother country’. It could simply be, that they were purchased by an unknown person via ebay or other online auction house ….. or by a tourist whilst on holiday in the United Kingdom. Either way, these medals are a very long way from home. And it could be assumed that the descendants of these soldiers would be shocked to learn that the war medals of their loved ones, are on the other side of the globe.

The bottom line is, there are thousands of war service medals, awarded to British troops – currently in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or some other corner of the Commonwealth. If you know the descendants of 2226 Private J.V. WARRENER (2nd London Regiment) or 10116 Private J. SEDDON (The Lancashire Fusiliers) then perhaps you could inform them, that the medals of their ancestors – have been found and are ready to come home.

IMAGE LEFT: The 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal of Private J.V. WARRENER – 2nd London Regiment.

If the War Medals of your relative are missing, it may not be enough – simply to check your local area in the hope that the medals will “turn up”. You may need to consider making a listing and ‘tell the whole world’ that you are searching for a particular medal set. It is only through web sites such as this, that you can get the word out to the greater community. Medals Gone Missing has thousands of collectors “world wide” who routinely check the medals listings – on the off chance that they have a medal in their collection which is being sought by a relative of the medal recipient. If your medals are missing and you wish to make a listing ….. please Click Here to register (it is FREE to register) Once you have completed the registration process, place your cursor over the MILITARIA menu on the home page. Then select MISSING MEDALS. A link will get you started on your missing medal listing. If you wish to advertise a medal for return to a family ….. this is FREE and there are no hidden catches (simply select MEDALS FOR SALE). However, a small surcharge applies if you wish to list your medals are missing and you wish to list them as “wanted”. Please note that this surcharge covers the maintenance of the website and Medals Gone Missing is a non-profit organisation.