WWI Military Medal

This medal was another surprise that came out of the recent package I received from the Directorate of Honours and Awards. The surprise being this is a Military Medal. 

The recipient of this medal was 717 SGT James Emmett Bourke who served in 2nd Battalion, AIF. The medal makes up a lot of the information in SGT Bourke's record of service. There are letters relating to the loss of his medals, requests for replacements and even an inquiry as to why he was awarded the MM.

SGT Bourke died in 1947 and the issue of his missing medal is well known in his family. It was easy to follow SGT Bourke through public records and work out his family. I was able to trace his oldest daughter 'Peggy' and today spoke to SGT Bourke's grandson, Andrew. Andrew told me that the medal was often mentioned and there was speculation as to why it went missing. After all these years the MM is being returned to SGT Bourke's family.

Thanks once again to Donna of Honours and Awards.

The returned medal tally is now 2916.