Hon Meka Whaitiri
A ceremony has been held today in Gisborne where the unclaimed medals of 28 (Māori) Battalion C Company soldiers were presented to their families.
After the Second World War, returning service personnel needed to apply for their medals and then they would be posted out to them.
While most medals were issued in the early 1950s, others have been claimed by Service personnel or their descendants over the last 70 years. Approximately 15 percent of all those who served in the Second World War have not claimed their medals.
New Zealand Defence Force Personnel Archives and Medals (PAM) has been working with lawyer David Stone since March 2019 on the unclaimed medals of C Company 28 Maori Battalion. PAM checked service files and advised Mr Stone of the issued and unclaimed medals for each serviceperson. This work was concluded in September 2020.