Medals for national service returned

The most difficult part of this search was working out what the recipient's first initial stood for. Once I had that the search was quite easy.

Yesterday, I received an email from Peter, the Honorary Secretary of the Penrith RSL sub-branch. Two medals had been handed in after being found in a Penrith street. The medal are the Australian Defence Medal and the Anniversary of National Service Medal. The medals are named to: A26813 N Melzer. From the number, I knew this was a RAAF national serviceman from NSW. Unfortunately, the name isn't on the Nashos nominal roll, the National Archives had no information and an Internet search was unsuccessful. 

Knowing that the recipient must have been at least in his 20s during the 1970s I started looking at all the  NSW electoral rolls with the surname Melzer. Only one 'N Melzer' appeared and this turned out to be the Rev Noel Melzer. From there is was a simple case of tracking Noel to his death in 2019 and confirming his wife's name, also through the electoral rolls. I found a 2025 mention of Mrs Melzer participating in an Anzac Day service and this led me to her current address. 

Peter confirmed today that he has been in contact with Mrs Melzer who has been looking for the medals since her husband died and is very please to be getting these back.

The returned medal tally is now 2948.