War medals, letters stolen
CALLOUS thieves have broken into a Gaven home and stolen war medals and sentimental love letters sent between a husband and wife before and during World War II.
The precious mementos of her parents were stolen from Deborah Mills’ home last week and has left her devastated at the loss.
The medals were awarded to her father Harold Mills, who served in the New Zealand Army as a driver/mechanic from 1940 for more than four years, including time spent in Italy and Syria during World War II.
The Mills’ Entrance Rd home was ransacked last Friday some time between 11.30am and 5pm, with the thieves stealing property, including the medals and letters, as well as keys.
The thieves have then returned late Saturday night and stole Ms Mills’ 2018 Chrysler 300c sedan by pushing another car out of the way and driving off in it.
Ms Mills said the thieves also stole other property including laptops and wine, but the theft of the irreplaceable letters from her mum Coral to her father and medals cut the deepest.
“The house had been ransacked, I went flying into my bedroom thinking they’d stolen my jewellery, my bedroom was a mess and there on the ground lay my dad’s box he’d made when he was in the war, totally empty,” Ms Mills said.
“He had six war medals in there and love poems from my mother, why they’d take the love poems, I have no idea.
“The poems weren’t dated, they were in mum’s handwriting to him, they said things like ‘think of me while you’re away’ so I think they were from before and during.
“They were very precious to my father, my mother passed at quite an early age, those photos of mum, the poems and the medals, they were all he had and they’ve taken that away from us.”
Ms Mills said she was gutted at the loss.
“I’m absolutely gutted, your home is a sanctuary, I don’t care about the laptops and the other stuff they’ve taken, I don’t give a shit about that stuff.
“The war medals, they were all I had left. I have photos, but they are all I have left of my father.
“I’m angry now, it’s so personal, they rip your heart out when they do things like this, the medals are part of what dad was, he went to the war and did his time, I can’t even put words to it, but devastated to say the least.
“Unless the police get them back, I’ll have nothing to hand down to my grandchildren.”
Police have caught up with the alleged thief, a Tweed Heads man, 25, but have not found any of the property.
He has been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count each of wilful damage, burglary, fraud and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
If you have any information about the whereabouts of the medals and letters, or the Chrysler with licence plates 669 YCV, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
I’M ANGRY NOW, IT’S SO PERSONAL, THEY RIP YOUR HEART OUT WHEN THEY DO THINGS LIKE THIS DEBORAH MILLS