Family appeal for lost WWI medal

A man has appealed to the public for help in finding his son’s great-great-grandfather’s British World War One medal, which was lost on Anzac Day in the East Melbourne area.

Tim Nicholas said his seven-year-old son Albie was wearing two medals, one gold and the other silver, while attending the football match between Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG.

The medals were awarded to his wife’s great-grandfather, Albert Walton, who served with the British Army in WWI.

Mr Nicholas said the silver medal was the one that went missing, which had been pinned to his son’s football jumper.

Mr Nicholas said following the football match, they walked from the MCG’s gate two through to the Fitzroy Gardens where they stopped to kick a footy near Albert St.

“We believe it came off at some one stage when Albie took his jumper off which was over the top of his football jersey,” he said.

“It’s fallen off the ribbon.”

He said the medal was last seen at the MCG around 6pm. They didn’t realise it was missing until they arrived home in Geelong in the evening.

Mr Nicholas said he travelled back to the Fitzroy Gardens on the same night to search for the medal but without any luck.

The medal has King George V’s face on one side and St George on a horse on the other. It is engraved around the edge with the name “A. Walton”.

Mr Nicholas said the medal was of huge and significant sentimental value and appealed to anyone with information of its whereabouts to contact their local police station. •

Captions: A replica of the lost WWI medal, and Tim Nicholas with his son Albie who was wearing his great great grandfather’s British World War One medal.