Returning medals to the relatives of New Zealand servicemen

Ian Martyn has returned almost a thousand military medals to the relatives of New Zealand servicemen, but the medals that started his quest continue to elude him.

Despite his own extensive military record that stretches from 1970 to 2007, Martyn didn't get involved in returning medals until after he retired.

His initial interest was sparked in 2010, when he discovered the identity of his great-grandfather, Private Jack Sullivan.

Sullivan served in the Australian Army during the First World War. He survived the Gallipoli campaign but was killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

"I was pretty keen to know whether or not any medals or any of his paraphernalia or memorial bits and pieces still existed because all the family were dead, bar me."

Martyn's search resulted in him founding Medals Reunited New Zealand, after encountering a massive volume of medals belonging to Australian and NZ servicemen.

"There was probably a hell of a lot of people like me out there that would dearly love to have their own family's medals return, and so I thought I could link both projects together," he said.

"If I was in the business of returning medals, that might spawn somebody offering up medals that perhaps were my great-grandfather's."

However, while Martyn has now successfully returned almost a thousand medals to the families of former service personnel, Private Sullivan's have remained out of reach.

"Nothing has turned up to date in 15 odd years, but I remain ever hopeful."

Medals come to Martyn in a variety of ways, and some he even uses his own money to secure.

"I'm of the opinion you can't take it with you," he said.

"If I spent it all and it meant the medals went back to families, and that they cherish having them, that to me is a total win."

Some are sent in to Martyn, people finding them anywhere from op shops to auction sites or even old cars.

Martyn said a World War II Memorial Cross had just been sent to him by a person who had came into its possession when they bought a car via Trade Me.

He said the medal had been awarded to an airman who was killed in a bomber aged 22. "So that is now off on its way back into the hands of his nephew, who's about 92 at this point."

One of his highlights had been returning another Memorial Cross, awarded to an airman who died in the same action that saw the Victoria Cross awarded to Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg.

Only nine New Zealanders had been awarded Victoria Crosses - the military's highest award for valour - during World War II.

Trigg's was awarded for sinking a German submarine despite his Liberator bomber aircraft being heavily damaged and on fire. Trigg and his crew died when they crashed into the sea.

"It was as a result of the submarine commander's after-action report, that actually secured the VC posthumously for Trigg," Martyn said.

The Memorial Cross was returned to a relative, who still had the paperwork that had been issued with it.

"When I took the Memorial Cross down to meet him and he produced the certificate, I was absolutely blown away."

Martyn doesn't just return medals and paraphernalia either. He's also helped expose people for wearing military medals they're not entitled to - a deception known as "stolen valour".

"It's kind of grown out of my own distaste for these people, and the fact that I was a disciplinarian in the military myself and had a significant background in the knowledge of that.

"I certainly don't pull any punches when I 'out' somebody, and we had a particularly successful one down at the Rolleston RSA. But that sort of thing, really irks me."

Fortunately, Martyn believes the practice is declining, despite New Zealand having lighter penalties than elsewhere.

As for his commitment to returning medals to their rightful owners, Martyn says won't stop when he reaches a thousand.

"That would be a nice milestone to reach" he said. "I think the last post I put on was 982. Well, it's 988 now. I'm closing in.

"And then I'll start all over again. It'll be the 1500 point, and then I'll probably be pushing up daisies".