General Service Medals

[Ruskie]

The medals may not have held such a place in some hearts in the past as they do now. Unless you do know that there was a break in at a specific point in time, I would be tempted to believe they were sold or given away rather than stolen. Lost/mistakenly thrown out is also possible. Value not that great either. Shame isn't it? 

Was the Aunt's address used as a point of delivery due to Uncle not having his own home at that point in time. Because the medals were delivered to that address does not mean they stayed there.

Presumably Uncle did not marry and have children as you don't mention this. Are there any other extended family who may know the whereabouts of the medals?

I understand what you say about replica medals - not quite the same thing really ... 

[Connie Sparrow]

The medals may not have held such a place in some hearts in the past as they do now. Unless you do know that there was a break in at a specific point in time, I would be tempted to believe they were sold or given away rather than stolen. Lost/mistakenly thrown out is also possible. Value not that great either. Shame isn't it? 

Was the Aunt's address used as a point of delivery due to Uncle not having his own home at that point in time. Because the medals were delivered to that address does not mean they stayed there.

Presumably Uncle did not marry and have children as you don't mention this. Are there any other extended family who may know the whereabouts of the medals?

I understand what you say about replica medals - not quite the same thing really ... 

After what so many service(wo)men went through I can fully understand why they may not have been wanted. Maybe the reaction after WWI was why WWII medals had to be applied for and weren't inscribed.

There was definitely a break-in. My great uncle was a keen fisherman and all his fishing gear is known to have been taken.

It's possible his aunt nagged him about not having claimed his medals so he's told her to do so, just to stop her nagging   I just don't know   I'd always been told he'd been on a shore base only, never served overseas; so it was a bit of a shock to discover he'd been awarded the Burma Star.  That arena wasn't exactly a walk in the park.  He was involved with the tank landing craft. Some shore base! Tis a real shame

I've no idea why the medals were sent to the aunt because my great uncle was living in his late parents home at the time. It's a bit of a puzzle what happened to them.  His sister cleared the aunt's place when she died and would have said something if they'd been found there.  His nephew cleared his place when he died.  There was no sign of them there either.

No, my great uncle didn't marry and didn't have any children either.  No one knows what happened to the medals.  I know he and my father were close, so maybe he gave the medals to my father and when Dad died his widow tossed them as she did my great uncle's original service record

I think I've done all I can to find the medals and will just have to accept they've gone forever

[Ruskie]

YEs, any number of things could have happened to them. Sad.

[quote author=Connie Sparrow
[/ I'd always been told he'd been on a shore base only, never served overseas; so it was a bit of a shock to discover he'd been awarded the Burma Star.  That arena wasn't exactly a walk in the park.  He was involved with the tank landing craft. Some shore base! Tis a real shame
[/quote]

I think you might need to do some further investigation - if he was awarded the Burma star there must have been some wires crossed somewhere if you previously believed he did not serve abroad. How did you find out he received the Burma Star?
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/medals/burma-star/

[Connie Sparrow]

I think you might need to do some further investigation - if he was awarded the Burma star there must have been some wires crossed somewhere if you previously believed he did not serve abroad. How did you find out he received the Burma Star?
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/medals/burma-star/

I have a copy of my great uncle's service record. That's how I found out he'd been awarded 4 medals, including the Burma Star which proved the person who'd told me he'd only served on a shore station was very wrong.

Thanks for the link

[Drew5233]

For the record I would stay well away from War Forces Records.

[Ruskie]

For the record I would stay well away from War Forces Records.

I agree with you Drew.

I only posted this for reference as it was the first link I found with reasonable detail about the requirements required for servicemen to receive this medal. In hindsight I should perhaps have searched more thoroughly.

I am not recommending that Connie subscribe to the site. 

Connie, depending on how interested (and determined) you are, you may wish to apply for your great Uncle's service record which will give you some more insight. There is a bit of form filling, a cost of £30 and a wait of up to 12 months for it to arrive.

It seems odd that you believed he did not serve abroad - I am wondering if perhaps you have two g uncles mixed up, or perhaps there were two men with the same name and there is confusion about which one is your g uncle?

[Connie Sparrow]

For the record I would stay well away from War Forces Records.

I am ever since I found their claim an elderly civilian cousin killed in the raid on Coventry had been awarded two military medals.  She'd never served in the military at any time in her life.  They'll never redeem themselves in my eyes

[Connie Sparrow]

Connie, depending on how interested (and determined) you are, you may wish to apply for your great Uncle's service record which will give you some more insight. There is a bit of form filling, a cost of £30 and a wait of up to 12 months for it to arrive.

It seems odd that you believed he did not serve abroad - I am wondering if perhaps you have two g uncles mixed up, or perhaps there were two men with the same name and there is confusion about which one is your g uncle?

My great uncle had a very distinctive name.  He's the only one with that particular in the family which is the subject of a One Name Study.

As I've said I was told he served on a shore station.  I had no reason to doubt that at the time but when his service papers arrived they clearly showed he had served abroad.  Why I was told otherwise, I don't know, but it doesn't matter now.

[Drew5233]

If you know his units and the dates he was with them would you like to know what unit war diaries are available that he served with?