Post war RNZN service - 39-45 medal?

Discussion in 'Postwar' started by andy007, Aug 21, 2013.

  1. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Hello all,

    My Dad has recently received his father's (My Grandfather) service records from the NZDF. It was going well until we saw the ribbons on his dress unifrom, all seem to match with his service period of 1947-1965ish except one. It appears to be that of the New Zealand Service Medal 1939-45. Obviously this does not match his service.

    We can't seem to identify what it is, even looking at Malaysian medals as he was seconded to the Malaysian Navy for a period of time as well has not helped.

    I am currently mulling over a few scenarios though really have no idea!
    The most obivious - Its not the 39-45 medal
    The out of the box - It is the the 39-45 medal and it is his (he was born in 1925) but there is no mention of WWII service in his records.
    The improbable - Its his and he served in WWII under a assumed name.

    Can help identify the ribbon? (Unfortunately I don't have access to the uniform in the present time but maybe able to get a photo in a couple of weeks if all goes to plan)

    This the New Zealand Service Medal 1939-45.
    [​IMG]
     
  2. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Dad now has his father's physical medals and it has been confirmed that it is indeed the 1939-45 star.
    Will be taking stock and working out a plan of attack for how to find out why he has it.
     
  3. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

  4. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Hi Wills,
    Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have seen that link before and unfortunately can't find any circumstances that would fit with the information I currently have.
     
  5. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    If it is an official issue then the issuing authority must have something on which to base the authority for awarding the medal - what have they said?
     
  6. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    My thoughts exactly Wills! I have just emailed NZDF personnel records to see if by some chance he has a service record under a different service number. I will also contact the NZDF medals office for some advice once I find an email address for them.

    Another option is that the medal may not be his but has some how got mixed up with his over the years. In saying that there is no one in the immediate family who springs to mind.
     
  7. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Update for those interested.

    I had a reply from NZDF archives and they can't find any records of my Grandfather having served in WWII.

    I have also spoken with my Dad and the information he has given me doesn't instill any confidence that the medal is indeed my Grandfathers. It appears my Cousin who had the medals previously 'scored' them, so who knows if they are actually my Grandfather's or a random collection.

    I am heading to my parents in a couple of weeks so will have a look over the medals to see if any are engraved with his name.
     
  8. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Mystery solved - My Father has informed me that he has spoken to my cousin again and my cousin insists that the medals aren't my Grandads, I had a bit of a suspicion this might be the case.
     
  9. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Well the mystery actually didn’t end there. Turns out the medals do belong to him.

    My Grandfather was called up for service towards the end of the war and based on some extra digging done by the good people at NZDF archives it looks like he was in the army for a brief time and thus qualified for the medals!
     
    4jonboy and Owen like this.

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