WW2 Medals in Charity shop

Can anyone help

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af6/peterhastie/medals.jpg

 

Peter, knowing the members of this forum I think you have posted it in the right place.
Well done mate, I shall follow this one.

Mike

 

I'm fairly certain that the medals will eventually get to the right family.

I'm surprised however that charity shop don't have a standard procedure whereby items such as these are handed over to local British Legion clubs ?

Ron

 

I wonder what happened to the Africa Star?

 

I don't really see what the issue is here; someone has disposed of the medals and they have come up for sale. This goes on every day of every week for medals for all periods, not just WW2. Sadly many families are not interested in them, and they come into the hands of collectors who look after and preserve them. I have boxed groups of WW2 medals that came out of dustbins in the 80s where families threw them out. Not everyone has the same attitude to them as we all do - just keep an eye on any of these so called 'antique' shows on TV? People on their flog their father's medals for the price of a train ticket all the time.

 

I am pleased to report that I have been happily married for over 61 years.

Whenever my wife and I are watching programs like Dickinson's Real Deal and there is someone flogging their family medals for twopence-ha'penny I turn to her and say "You wouldn't flog my old medals....would you ?" she deliberately doesn't answer and we then both have a bloody good laugh !

It would appear in this case that they never got to that stage but I do hope that they eventually reach someone who will appreciate them and do a bit of research.

Ron

 

I'm surprised however that charity shop don't have a standard procedure whereby items such as these are handed over to local British Legion clubs ?



Some actively push the fact that they are wanting them (as they always sell well...usually for more than they'd be worth from a dealer). at least two in my town have a flyer in the window asking specifically for donations of jewelry, wrist watches, pocket watches, coins and war medals.

dave

 

Sadly many families are not interested in them, and they come into the hands of collectors who look after and preserve them..


Sometimes its not just the families, but the veteran him/herself. If anyone cares to dredge the Leeds-Liverpool Canal near Ormerod Bridge, Burnley they might find my grandad's and one of his brother's medals...its where they threw them after one Remembrance Day ceremony back in the 1950's!!!!

dave

 

Sometimes its not just the families, but the veteran him/herself. If anyone cares to dredge the Leeds-Liverpool Canal near Ormerod Bridge, Burnley they might find my grandad's and one of his brother's medals...its where they threw them after one Remembrance Day ceremony back in the 1950's!!!!

dave


Good point - I rescued my grandfathers out of his bin when he through them out. He hated Churchill and Hitler!

 

I applied for my late fathers medals some years ago. When I received them I had them engraved on the reverse with his name and service number, wherever they end up in the future people will know who earned them.

 

Medals are frequently "lost" this way.I know of a young man whose RAF operational life was cut short when the balloon went up from May 10 1940.He was awarded the DFM on returning from the Ruhr when the aircraft was badly hit by flak over the target.He baled out over what proved to be, French lines and was back on the squadron in a few days but the squadron commander who stayed at the aircraft's controls to allow the crew to escape,lost his life when the aircraft eventually crashed in Belgium.

On month later and after being married for about 6 weeks,his aircraft collided with a anti aircraft balloon over Felixstowe on a return from attacking military targets in France.All were killed which included his replacement squadron commander.

His widow eventually remarried but over 60 years later,she died and his DFM was found in a second hand shop.His name was engraved on the medal and from there his service background was traced although it was not possible to trace his familily.

Today his medal is on display in the Air Gunner's Section of the York Air Museum at the former RAF Elvington.

 

i was given a ww1 set of medals by the veterans daughter, great war medals i have to say, but MM and trio with MID. MID for Hooge and MM for actions on the somme, discharge scroll, silver war badge, letters photos ect - all about to go in the bin!

 

Ron-shouldn't you have "North Africa 1942-43" clasp to your Africa Star?


jainso

 

Jainso31

The short answer is no !.

All will be explained when I find the story that I previously posted here that explains all

I'm just off to the AJEX Cenotaph Ceremony & Parade so may not have time to find the link.

Ron

ps

Found it !!!

Your query reminded me of an earlier posting I had made on this subject and I repeat it for you below:

Back in the early days of the BBC WW2 website there was a thread running to do with the entitlement of a clasp to the Africa Star, either of the 1st or the 8th Army type.

I had already posted a photo of my medals to accompany an article:
BBC - WW2 People's War - Stick it in your Army.....Album!
and someone spotted that my medals lacked the 1st Army Clasp despite the fact that I had written about arriving in Algeria on the 23rd of April 1943 well before the campaign finished on the 12th of May of the same year.

I was being pestered by other site members with would-be helpful hints of the "you should have received a clasp" variety and so to settle the matter I wrote to the relevant MOD department and received the following reply:

Dear Sir
Thank you for your letter received 7 September enquiry as to the progress in your application for the supplementary award of the clasp ' 1st Army" to the Africa Star.
To qualify for the clasp 'Ist Army" personnel are required to have served between 8 November I942 and 12 May 1943 on the posted strength of. or attached for duty to. a formation or unit which appeared on the Order of Battle of the First Army. I can confirm that 49 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (49 LAA Regt) appears on the relevant Order of Battle and so earns the clasp. However, available official documents show that on disembarkation in North Africa you were placed into the unposted reinforcement pool and remained so until being posted to 49 LAA Regt on 22 May 1943.
You will appreciate that as you only performed service on the strength of an operational unit after the final qualifying date, you are not entitled to the clasp ' 1st Army.
I am sorry to forward such a disappointing reply
Yours faithfully
***********
Officer in charge Division 3

Although I had realised from day one that I was not entitled to the 1st Army clasp, I was still amused to think that although we were subjected to air raids during our stay in Algiers (awaiting posting to our various Regiments) had we been killed our heirs would have been entitled to our medals but sans the appropriate clasp

:smile:

 

I buy and sell militaria, we have a selection of medals that we have bought from auction, not just fleabay! but other military auctions, we have noticed an upward trend in the monatary 'value' of such items, although I would agrue that the historic and personal value is priceless. We often sell medals to children and grandchildren of WW2 vets whose original medals 'went missing' over the years, so it is comforting that the medals often find a valued home albeit around the houses as it were.

 

WW1 Medal lost and found thanks to members on this forum. See here:

From Catford to Wales in 90 years

 

I applied for my late fathers medals some years ago. When I received them I had them engraved on the reverse with his name and service number, wherever they end up in the future people will know who earned them.


Peter,

A very good idea to have had them engraved.

Just a pity the MOD never engraved them before issue.

Regards
Tom

 

I would never get rid of my late Father's WWII medals. He meant for me to have them and they are my most prized possession. Father was with the 6th Guards Tank Brigade, Armoured Guards Division.

 

My Grand father retrieved a German officers Luger and eventually passed down to my Uncle...the german Luger came with ammunition holster and everything....he swopped eventually for a 357 magnum. To me that was ridiculous but that is family that never served and had no appreciation for what their own father went through and for the respect of the German officer...this is my opinion!!

 

Greta - quite right too - your Father did his share- with Guards Armoured Division

Cheers