A World War I medal belonging to a Mid North Coast soldier has finally been returned to his family after a remarkable chain of events that began with a chance discovery in a Coffs Harbour garden.
The medal, belonging to Private John Rowe of Kempsey, was formally handed back to his family this week after spending five years in the safekeeping of Coffs Harbour resident Bob Wilson.
The emotional reunion came after Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh shared his annual The Spirit of Anzac booklet ahead of Anzac Day. This year’s cover featured France’s VC Corner Memorial, where the name “J. Rowe” caught Mr Wilson’s attention immediately.
Five years earlier, Mr Wilson had discovered a medal bearing the name Private John Rowe protruding from freshly laid mulch in his front garden. Despite repeated attempts to track down surviving family members, he had been unable to find any relatives.
That changed when he contacted Mr Singh after receiving the Anzac publication.
Mr Singh then posted a Facebook video appealing to the public for help locating descendants of the Kempsey soldier, who was wounded on the Western Front in 1918 and later died from his injuries.
The story quickly captured the attention of the community and local media, with NBN News eventually locating John Rowe’s great-niece, Sharon Goodwin, in Kempsey.
On Monday morning, Ms Goodwin travelled to Mr Singh’s Coffs Harbour office, where Mr Wilson officially presented the medal back to the family.
“It was an emotional and heartfelt moment all round,” Mr Singh said from NSW Parliament, which is sitting this week.
“I’ve loved being part of this good news story and it’s an experience I will always cherish.
“It was so gratifying to see the medal back home where it belongs and to see how much it meant to Bob and Sharon.
“John Rowe fought and died for his country. Lest we forget.”
Mr Wilson described the experience as “beautiful”, saying he was relieved the medal had finally found its rightful home.
“I’m very happy it’s back home. It’s serendipity,” he said.
“I spoke to the right person in Gurmesh Singh in getting things moving in the right direction.”
For Ms Goodwin, the discovery came completely out of the blue.
She said she was in “total shock” when contacted last week and told the long-lost medal had been found.
“To have it turn up out of the blue is incredible,” she said.
“I’m very excited, I’m thrilled, absolutely beside myself.”
The touching story has resonated across the Mid North Coast, serving as a powerful reminder of the enduring connections families and communities maintain with those who served in war generations ago.
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