After 45 years abroad, one set of World War I medals will be returning to Auckland in time for Anzac Day 2025.

This story was recently shared with the Online Cenotaph team by Scott Blanks, whose grandfather’s medals made their way across the Tasman and are now in the care of Scott’s son, Nicholas.

The journey of the Blanks family medals is a familiar one, with so much history passed between family members, forgotten in bottom drawers, or lost to the passage of time. Anzac Day prompts many whanau to revisit these topics, and the Blanks’ story offers a hopeful insight into a long-awaited reunion and four generations of commemoration.

Alfred Darwin Blanks

Alfred served for a total of 4 years and 46 days across numerous theatres of war, including Gallipoli and France. During this time, he sustained a gunshot wound to the right shoulder and significant injuries from shrapnel which continued to affect him for the remainder of his life. These wounds resulted in his discharge on 26 September 1918 as he was no longer considered medically fit for service. Despite this, Alfred remained extremely connected to his service and distinguished himself when he led a squad of buglers at the very first Anzac Day Parade at Westminster Abbey in London in 1916.

The journey home

It was not until late 2024 that Scott received an email from a cousin, Robert, who had visited family in Melbourne and stumbled across “a case of old letters and musings” in the shed. To everyone’s surprise, Alfred’s medals and badges were also found within these cases. Scott was thrilled by this discovery and immediately knew that they would be of interest to his son, Nicholas.

Fifteen-year-old Nicholas is an avid historian and attends Mt Albert Grammar — the same college that Alfred’s sons, Harvey, Trevor, and Nicholas’s grandfather Keith attended before service in World War II. Nicholas continues this legacy of service as he belongs to Squadron 19 of the Air Cadets in Auckland for 3 years, which included parading on Anzac Day.

Now that the medals have been returned to Auckland, they can be entrusted to Nicholas who will wear them at the Cenotaph on 25 April 2025, proudly representing his great-grandfather on Anzac Day.

“As someone who is very interested in the world wars and New Zealand’s involvement, I take a deep interest in Anzac Day and my connection to it. I have learnt a great deal about the experiences many young Kiwis had during both wars. All those young men were sent to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and I believe it is important that we as their descendants, who live in a world that wouldn’t be the way it is today without them, acknowledge their service and their sacrifice. And this is why I find Anzac Day to be the most important to me. I feel a deeper more spiritual connection to it as well. My great-grandfather was there at the first Anzac Day in London in 1916. He would attend every service from then on, wearing his medals and gathering with his former comrades. And now 45 years after his passing, I can pick up the torch and carry it on for him.”

Medals Reunited

If you are unsure where your family’s military medals are held, we recommend first checking with relatives, as medals are often passed down through whānau. If you believe that a relative’s war, operational, or service medals were never issued, please contact the NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals team. You can learn more here.

For medals or ephemera that have been separated from families, Medals Reunited New Zealand (MRNZ) offers a free service dedicated to reuniting these items with descendants. You can contact them at [email protected].

Ngā Mihi

Ki te whānau Blank, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou mō tō koutou whakapuaki i tēnei kōrero.

To the Blank whānau, heartfelt thanks to you all for sharing this story.