Lost War Medals Reunite Family After 80 Years Apart

Quick Smiles:

• Lost war medals of a New Zealand airman were found and returned to his family.
• A chaplain’s dedication led to the restoration and return of the medals after 80 years.
• The grand-niece of the airman is thrilled to share her family’s history with future generations.

In a delightful twist of fate, a set of war medals belonging to a New Zealand airman has been reunited with his family after being lost for decades. The medals, which once belonged to Sergeant William O’Shea, were discovered by Royal Australian Air Force Chaplain Hayden Lea at an auction.

Sergeant O’Shea, who died during a 1942 RAF bomber raid over Hamburg, had his medals initially passed on to his widow, Ann. Unfortunately, the family lost track of them in 1990.

Chaplain Lea stumbled upon the medals while attending the auction and noticed a missing ribbon clasp. This absence indicated that the medals’ original owner had perished during the war.

Motivated by a sense of duty, Lea purchased the medals, replaced their worn ribbons, and sought to secure the missing bomber command clasp.

“Once I’d purchased the medals and was able to look up a little bit more information about Billy, I was able to confirm that he didn’t have his other awards, so I contacted New Zealand honors and awards to be able to apply for that for him,” he explained.

Chaplain Lea’s commitment to honoring soldiers like O’Shea extends beyond their lifetime. After obtaining the bomber clasp, he embarked on a mission to locate O’Shea’s family.

Karen Curtis, O’Shea’s grand-niece, was identified as his next of kin. Although she had never met her great-uncle, her efforts to have the medals reissued had previously been unsuccessful.

Curtis expressed her family’s astonishment at the return of the medals.

“He died in 1942, but he was my father’s uncle and my father really looked up to him,” she shared. “And now I’ve got grandchildren who I’m teaching about the family history. They look so alike and looking at photos of Billy I could swear it was my dad.”

This remarkable reunion not only honors the memory of a fallen airman but also allows his legacy to be passed down to future generations.

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