Topic: WW2 Medals Found in Crack House Returned to Family

[milnews.ca]

Some GOOD news for a change about missing medals....

It took two years, but military medals belonging to a deceased veteran have finally found their way home, thanks to the work of three Mounties and a retired military major.

The story began in 2009, when Surrey RCMP officers found the medals during a raid on a crack house in Surrey, B.C.

For two years, the medals sat in the RCMP detachment, with officers unable to identify who actually owned the stolen medals.

"Our investigators were very keen that these were significant to somebody," said RCMP Cpl. Drew Grainger.

Officers went through databases, used Statistics Canada information and did their best to match the medals to a soldier. But they remained stumped until they contacted the Royal Canadian Legion, who put their best man on the job.

Gary Campbell, a retired major and a war historian in New Brunswick, was able to catch a clue in the Second World War medals.

"It was a bit of a problem, because being World War II medals, they weren't named. Although, along with the medals was a War Services badge. It's a lapel pin and it has a serial number."

That led the search to Ontario, where Campbell uncovered the name of a soldier named Arthur Bird.

Bird died in 1975, but the medals had moved west with his daughter.

Thanks to the investigation, the medals have now been returned to Paul Jackson, who is Bird's grandson ....

CTV.ca, 30 Nov 11

[57Chevy]

quote:
"It was a bit of a problem, because being World War II medals, they weren't named. Although, along with the medals was a War Services badge. It's a lapel pin and it has a serial number."

Glad to see that the medals were returned to the family.

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,100399.msg1043763.html#msg1043763
IMO, I think when compared to the criteria for the "new" service pin, the WWII pins reflected the soldiers service in greater detail.

Perhaps serial numbers could be re-introduced for the "new" lapel pin.
Just a thought.

[FlyingDutchman]

Why were they in a crack house is what I want to know.

[Occam]

Why were they in a crack house is what I want to know.

Stolen property in a crack house....seems plausible to me.   

[FlyingDutchman]

Stolen property in a crack house....seems plausible to me.   

True, but here I was thinking 'logical thing to do would be' then stopped myself, as that does not apply well to crack users.

[wildman0101]

Funny I was dowtown 6-7 year's ago.. Seen this sign "appraise medal's" so i checked
Explained my grandad's medal's from the Boer,ww1,ww2. Dropped Grandad's medal's
off to be appraised. 4-5 days later I call ... No answer. Called and called. Nothing.. so
went Still looking for the looking and found the shop locked up. "Outta business"...
Still lookin for the A-@@@. And when I recover Grandad's medal he's gonna get a S@@@
Kick@@. Hope none of you folk's never had this exsperience... Best Regard's All,
Scoty B

[Canadian.Trucker]

Funny I was dowtown 6-7 year's ago.. Seen this sign "appraise medal's" so i checked
Explained my grandad's medal's from the Boer,ww1,ww2. Dropped Grandad's medal's
off to be appraised. 4-5 days later I call ... No answer. Called and called. Nothing.. so
went Still looking for the looking and found the shop locked up. "Outta business"...
Still lookin for the A-@@@. And when I recover Grandad's medal he's gonna get a S@@@
Kick@@. Hope none of you folk's never had this exsperience... Best Regard's All,
Scoty B

Sorry to hear about that Scoty.  Did you try going to the police to see if they can be of any help?  Since your Grandfather's medals are now stolen property.

[wildman0101]

canadian trucker,,
      Yup. Got my Cav Cousin's on it. Also been online lookin at auction's, because most are sold through
them. Including every pawn shop, second hand, flea market ect. I'll find em and him ... Thank's for the
interest. Cheer's. Scoty B

[Hurricane]

Why were they in a crack house is what I want to know.

I don't mean to speculate, but its also possible that the medals could have been traded for goods offered by said crack house. Stolen OR not.

[M Feetham]

It is also possible that said "Crack House" was not always a crack house. A previous owner my have left the medals there. There could be any number of reasons that they were there. The important thing here is that they were returned to the family. 
Marc

[Jim Seggie]

Medals and decorations lose meaning from one generation to the next. The great great grandchildren of a WW1 Vet will find very little meaning in WW1 medals unless they were educated from a very early age as to the why and where "Grandad" recieved those medals.