Mission to return set of mystery war medals
THE hunt is on for the mystery owner of a set of war medals believed to belong to a World War II veteran that were found sitting in an abandoned storage locker sold through Grays online.
The locker’s buyer, Red Woolley, just happened to be a former RAAF serviceman, who understood the importance of what the medals mean to those who have served their nation.
Mr Woolley said World War II service medals were the last thing he was expecting to find in his purchase and felt like he had discovered a time capsule with a piece of history that needed returning to those it rightfully belonged with.
“The container had a whole bunch of different things like furniture in it, including a tin container with the two medals in it and an uncashed cheque dating back quite a few decades,” he said.
“I immediately thought that this needs to be returned to the rightful owner or the person’s family.
“I’m a veteran myself – I served in East Timor with the RAAF. I have my own medals and I know how much I value them so I want these World War II medals to go back to the family of this serviceman who is probably no longer with us.”
With the help of Federal Member for Solomon Luke Gosling, who also served in Timor, Red has managed to track down some clues to the medals’ ownership.
“There is a reference to the Aboriginal coastal patrol from World War II,” Mr Gosling said.
“On the medals is inscribed MULURK which I believe is a reference to a man called Mul-Urk from Burra group, who were recruited from the Cape Stewart area at Milingimbi.
“There is some evidence that the medals may have been issued for previously unrecognised defence service such as rescuing a downed airman, coast watching or the like and the recipient may have engraved their name in the medals.
“The red, white and blue War Medal would only be issued to those who worked in a war zone because of the bombing.
“The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded for full time service in the Armed Forces between September 3 1939 and September 2, 1945.”
Contact the NT News gary.shipway@news.com.au if you think you can help find the family that these medals should go to.