OK something really positive

Loved my dad who has passed, prob about 8yrs ago now. He was a returned serviceman. Told a friend that next year I planned to march on anzac (with my wee Ella) to honor my dad. He was really positive until he realised i only had my fathers RSA badge and told me I was not able to march without his medals. I was gutted and said Watch this space honey, cos no one is going to stop me, my father was a returned serviceman and I have that right. Hehe, love that I have some spunk and I meant it, (believe me if I have to, i will, and it may hit the news), I can throw a paddy if I need. Anyway before I throw my wee hissy, decided to ask my mother where my fathers medals where. As I suspected my father never claimed them, (didn't see the point), so today I decided to make contact with the defense and they are going to send me the forms to claim them. Mum knows what I intend to do and she is excited. We have decided to keep this between the two of us for the moment. I will have them framed with a photo of my dad in uniform and mum will call a family meeting once done so everyone can enjoy. Mum has agreed that I can wear his badges each year, but that they will stay in her posesstion until her death and then they are mine, all mine cos no one else has shown interest. My wee Ella is only three but she has been with her nana for 3 anzac"s, I think maybe she may be the one for me to leave these to. Oh my gosh I am so excited.

Good on You, dear Pam, Good on You.

Hmm, ya got some duff gen about Parading and wearing medals so here is the good oil on it:

http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/info/wearingmedals.html

May I suggest, given that there is nearly a Year to organise it, that you also get a court-mounted set of Miniatures of the medals awarded to your dad – I have no doubt that Miss Ella at your side will wear them with extreme pride.

You will note on the Link above, that there are only Two days per year when the wearing of an relatives medals are permitted - ANZAC and Armistice Days.

Unlike WW1 Gallantry, Campaign and Service Medals, WW2 and later issue Medalic Awards are NOT engraved with the recipient’s service number, rank and name.

So keeping them altogether is a great idea; I’d suggest a court-style mounting which you may wear simply by affixing the pin to the clothing on the day (on your right hand side, not the left) and unpinning and returning them to display afterwards. I think that the plan with Photographs and as much Service History and anecdotal stories as you can assemble, is awesome.

I left it a bit too late to ask me old man about some of his stuff and he wasn’t volunteering any, sigh.

There are a couple of places in Chch where the medals can be mounted court-style as well as in other areas, so if ya need a hand finding someone good, let me know. I um, use to collect Militaria. Skin Oils don’t do the medals any favours so the less handling, the better from that perspective but the fact that they are Family Taonga is more important.

Wear with Pride, my dear Pam friend, wear with pride and Bless You for caring – and Remembering.

To me, Armistice Day is ‘bigger’ than ANZAC, ‘cos Anzac Day was the start of something disastrous and Armistice Day, was the day on which that particular madness ceased – followed immediately by an Influenza Epidemic. Sheesh.

Your Mum will be needing a pretty big Cuddle, I’m guessing when the Medals are delivered ... And so will you, so pffft, it kinda seems to make sense that you two are there together – saves having to trawl around for some passing stranger to abduct and hug, aye. It will be a very emotional time, I’m guessing.

Paddy.

Paddy my mother is excited, to think she may have my fathers medals. Gosh I cant even tell my sisters, cos it needs to be a big/huge suprise. What I dont understand is no matter who, what, we have rules as to who can march. God sake, its honouring our soldiers and anybody should be able to join the march dont you think???. I am going to write a letter, because if i dont get his medals in time, they will have to deal with me because I AM going to march.
Hey maybe we could organise a Armistice march, I'm happy to come up your way. How do we do this??.
My father never felt the need to claim his medals, he said whats the point?, I imagine there are many returned soldiers who felt the same.

Hey Paddy, forgot to say when my father passed, I went though his stuff and found his RSA badges and asked that I have one. After some time my mother agreed that i could have one and got to choose. The one i got, i got cos it was pretty, turns out as i have found out in the last week this is not my fathers as it is ww1, so my mother tells me this must be either her fathers or her uncles who died in ww1. I shouldn't be i guess, but i am so excited to find out who's badge i have, hope its my grandads. I think my mother is also excited to know who's it is.

Pam,
Hiya hon.
I’m just being nosey, if ya don’t mind too much?

Have your dads Medalic Entitlements arrived in the post yet?

If you want any specific info on where he served etc, each major Unit has its own published Official War History – Chch City Library will have them in its reference section, for sure. Maybe even thru Interloan?

The WW1 badge you have – if you visit

http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/locations.aspx

And enter a Surname only and then select WW1 the records should return every Serviceperson they have a record of, of that last name. The RSA badge almost certainly has a number stamped on it – that number should match one of those servicemen listed under that name. That will be the person whose badge you have. From that, more info about that man can be obtained if you wish to.

Then, if ya want to feel really depressed and sad, visit http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14 and simply type in that surname – it will list every Casualty of that person of that name from WW1 Onward.

If at some stage you would like to assemble a small collection of your dads uniform badges to compliment his medals, I can prolly point you towards the better deals on TradeMe.

Paddy.

Hey paddy, thankyou so much darling. Work in progress, still haven't been able to get my mother org to sort out death cert etc, however if she takes much longer i will claim these in my name, just would for her sake, prefer to claim these in hers. Thanks so much for the links, very exciting, have found some of my relatives, not a common name so the two names that have come up are relatives, yah ho. Have found my grandfather on my fathers side and my grandfathers brother on my mums side (what does that make him to me lol). What I cant find is my daddy, why not???. He started army, got kicked out after about a year cos his cousin dobed him in for being under aged, so he then joined the navy. He was on the minesweepers based in Devonport. The no. on this badge is not matching up with the two rellys I found. Is there some way/link that I can type in badge no. and come up with a name??.
Pam

Hiya, Pam

I'm pleased the info has been of interest. I was just being nosey, Pam.

Um, ya Dad? Because the majority of WW2 records have not been released yet - those servicemen (and service women) may still have direct NOK living - like ya mum, as far as their records are concerned.

If you'd like to PM me the Number, I will see what else I can remember - its been a while since I've done that sorta research. What I'd prolly try to do is track down unit Nominal Rolls and based on the Number, that shouldn't be too hard (fingers crossed).

If either your grandfather or great uncle were casualties there is a book with photographs and descriptions of pretty much every War Memorial in the country. From their enlistment details it should be possible to have an educated guess at which Memorial their names might be on and then we can send someone out in the cold to have a look for ya. Hopefully however, they were not casualties.

Stay snug 'n warm, my friend,

Paddy.

not so positive today, lost another sister today. went away for a lovely long weekend and within half an hour of me arriving I get a call to say my sister is dead. Is my fifth sibling i have lost & feeling really gutted. When does it stop