McKeown, Wilton and Gibbons

The Internet has proved to be the key enabler for a couple of the last few returns we have made.
The family of 128 PTE Leslie Henry McKeown came across McKeown's name on our lost medals list and contacted me direct.

Then on the same day a WWII group of 5 awarded to NX 45446 Beverly Robert Wilton arrived in the post. It took me a very short period of time to find that a notice had been put on the NSW RSL website looking for these medals.


Bill has demonstrated his superb research skill once again by tracking down the family of 36611 DV Frederick Francis Gibbons.


The number of medals returned by Lost Medals Australia is now 424.

2894 DVR J.W. Fell 2nd Light Horse Signal Troop

I have recently received the BWM awarded to John Walter Fell. Fell was born in Sydney in 1888 and enlisted in 1916 aged 27. His occupation is listed as Commercial Traveller and his unit on enlistment is given as 6th Light Horse Regiment.

His family consists of the following;

Parents:

Walter John Fell and Elizabeth Margaret

Siblings:

William Alexander Fell

Margaret Elizabeth Fell

Alexander Arthur Fell (also served in 6 LH and 2 LH Sig Tp)

Another medal to be returned

Some of the returns that we do are tinged with sadness. It amazes me the number of times that we locate a family shortly after the veteran has died. This is another such case. Bill has come through again and located the NOK of NX166745 Roy Birdwood Manuel. Roy died last February. I'll post his WWII War medal to the family tomorrow.
This takes the total number of medals returned to 418.

An overdue update

Since June 08 I have been very busy with a couple of ADF related activities and I have not posted as regularly as I would have liked. However, Lost Medals Australia has been very active. Since the last post a further 17 medals have been returned. This post will bring everything up to date.
In October, Scott was a crucial link between the Directorate of Honours and Awards and the family of Bombardier Jack Grimm and assisted in returning a WWII group of 5.

The next medal returned was a South Vietnam medal awarded to 15518 SGT James Dempsey. This medal was returned to his sister.

We seem to have had a run of luck with Vietnam War medals. The next two that were returned were to 43436 PTE Anthony Rowe. Rowe served with 709 Signal Troop and survived his tour in Vietnam only to be tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident shortly upon his RTA.

Bill is responsible for the research on the last two entries as well as locating the sister of VX106770 Charles Clifford Smith. This return saw a WWII group of four sent back to the family. Interesting to note that the naming on the medal rim has C.C.C. Smith rather than C.C. Smith.

Once again Bill came good with the next return, this time to the widow of VX11338 J.A. O'Donohue.

The next two returns are as a direct result of people searching the Internet and coming across medals we have listed on the Lost Medals Australia web site. The first was to WOII Robert Anderson. The medals are featured on the 19 May 08 entry below. I was contacted by a cousin of Balfour and have returned the medals. These medals are well travelled. Anderson was from VIC, the medals came to me from WA and the family is in QLD.

The next pair is to 4204 PTE Albert Rutherford. These medals will be returned to Rutherford's nephew.

Recently, both the Lost Medals Australia website and this blog have received a high volume of hits. This has resulted in many requests for assistance. I anticipate that in the near future there will be several groups, including a WWII MM being sent to me. The last thing to say at this point is that Lost Medals Australia has now returned 417 medals.