I have a great contact through the Army Museum network who is also involved in the Launceston RSL. This is Pete W and we recently had a discussion about a number of medals which needed to be researched and returned to the families. Pete sent me these medals recently and I hope to publish a number of stories in the near future about the soldiers and their medals.
The first medal from this collection to be returned was awarded to 1396 PTE Wilfred Smith (service recorded to be linked once the NAA has completed website upgrades). Wilfred was a member of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He was 31 years old when he enlisted on 27 July 1915. Wilfred was married to Kathleen and they had a baby daughter, Ida Gloria.
After joining his regiment in early 1916, Wilfred fought in the Battle of Romani. He was killed in action on 4 August 1916. Even though his service record states he was buried in the field and the burial was officiated by a chaplain, he is recorded as having no know grave. Wilfred is commemorated on the Jerusalem War Memorial.
I found Wilfred's details on an Ancestry family tree which is owned by his great grandson. This is Keith who also lives in Tasmania. I'll send him Wilfred's British War Medal in the near future.
The returned medal tally is now 3011.
Very pleased with this result. In the Launceston RSL Museum, we had a number of part medal sets which we could not display and after talking with Glyn I sent them to him to see if he could get them a home. Our collection has over 100 sets on display, and most sets belong to Tasmanian service men and women.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for getting in touch and for the incredible work you’re doing in researching and returning these medals to families.
ReplyDeleteI was aware of Wilfred’s place in our family history, but to have his War Medal returned is something truly special. It means a great deal to me and to our family to be able to reconnect with that part of our history in such a tangible way.
I also appreciate the time and care you’ve taken in researching and sharing Wilfred’s story. It’s a fitting tribute to his service and sacrifice.
Thank you again – we are very grateful.
Kind regards,
Keith