Boronia Police have reunited a family with a precious piece of their history, by delivering six World War II medals that had been missing for more than 20 years.
The medals were handed in to police around three to four months ago, after a member of the public was approached by someone trying to sell them.
The shop owner found the offer suspicious, decided to hold onto the medals, and brought them to Boronia Police, believing they may have been stolen.
Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Phillips said the medals were believed to belong to a local man who had served in World War II and had since passed away.
“A fair bit of work went into it,” Mr Phillips said.
“The owner of the medals had passed away, so we made inquiries through funeral homes and were eventually able to locate his next of kin.”
The medals were traced to the late veteran’s son, who now lives in Patterson Lakes.
Earlier this week, Mr Phillips personally delivered the medals to him.
“He was very surprised,” Mr Phillips said.
“The medals hadn’t been seen or spoken about in quite some time. His mother passed away 20 to 30 years ago, and other family members have since passed as well, so there hadn’t been much talk about where the medals ended up or how they were lost.”
According to Mr Phillips, the family’s home had been broken into many years ago, leading them to believe the medals may have been stolen at that time.
“They didn’t really know if they were taken during the break-in or misplaced through other family members who’ve since passed,” he said.
“To have them turn up at his doorstep, he was shocked and very, very happy.”
The medals have now been returned to their rightful custodians, bringing closure to a decades-long mystery.
