Frederick Glover

This is Bill's story about the lost 1939-1945 Australian Service Medal of PM6121 Frederick John Glover. Bill also has some advice for readers.

“About 3 years ago at a dawn service in Hastings” was the reply to my question asking Frederick’s son John when had he last seen his father’s ASM. The obvious question from John to me “how did you get them, where have they been?” was I had to admit circumspect. It was handed into ANZAC House in Melbourne last week but where they have been for the last three years I did not know.

The return, as has been the case so often lately, is a result of some fine sleuthing by the team of the Australian Surname Group. A brilliant bit of deductive reason by Liz who thought of researching the ABN number of Plasters, to find John, as he was a plasterer by trade. And a bit of research by yours truly who spent considerable hours on the internet, punching in a wide series of combinations, then ringing around. (Oh I will dread this month’s bill.)

However I closed my post to the Australian Surname Group Forum with this somewhat impromptu remark:

‘I dread ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, since the 11th I have received 3 medals in the mail, all of which appear to have come unstuck or unpinned. Medals are too heavy for safety pins.’

But unfortunately people are loathe to change the set up on Dad’s or Grandad’s medals. The pins worked okay for 40 or more years for him or her. So why not for me?

Well ribbon degrades with time, it tears, pins bend under stress, and come undone.

Look at the pin, you can see how it has become bent out of alignment with time, particularly when you look at the size of the medal and its apparent weight.

So to all our followers if you have a relatives medals, please check them before you wear them. And if they are held only by a safety pin. then get them mounted. As I said to Frederick’s son John, "You have been lucky in getting the medal back, you may not be as lucky if forbid there is a next time."

The returned medal tally is now 1572.