British army vet has precious service medals stolen in Sask.

A local British army veteran says nine medals issued for service in various theatres of conflict — including the Gulf War, Bosnia and Iraq — have been stolen from his apartment in Saskatchewan.

Jim Watson, 54, says he discovered the theft of the medals, military memorabilia and various household items from his main-floor suite in Kindersley, Sask., early Monday after returning from a weekend visit to his family's home in Medicine Hat.

The former staff sergeant, who now works as a general sales manager in Kindersley during the week, says the theft is devastating.

“It’s just sickening,” Watson said Wednesday. “I’ve never attended a Remembrance Day parade and not had my medals.”

Watson, a married father and grandfather, immigrated to Canada in 2003 after a 24-year military career, and worked in the oilpatch before the economic downturn.

“We love it in Canada and couldn't imagine living anywhere else,” he said. “We’ve always felt safe here.”

Watson said he planned to leave the medals to his family in his will but that may not be possible now.

“They’re going to lose that,” he said. “he rest of the stuff I can replace ... Even if I got replicas, they are not the same medals. They have to be those medals.”

Along with his medals, the thieves took a series of keys hanging on hooks, including one to the Kindersley legion hall. The hall was also broken into over the weekend and alcohol was stolen.

Watson is considering offering a $500 reward for the return of his medals. He said he hopes someone who knows something about the break-in contacts police or that the medals are just dropped off somewhere in time for him to wear them on Remembrance Day.

“This Nov. 11 is going to be really hard if I don’t have them.”