Australian woman's bid to return Scots First World War hero's medals discovered in a house Down Under

A woman in Australia is looking to trace the living relatives of a Callander First World War hero to reunite them with his long-lost medals.

In November 2019, the Observer told how a portrait of a mystery soldier discovered in a historic Callander guest house was identified as that of Corporal Donald Anderson.

Donna and Jason Frost relocated from Stirling to the Trossachs town in September that year to take over the running of Coppice House in Leny Road.

The portrait had been found in the boarded-up basement.

Following publication of the story in the Observer, the couple were informed just hours before Armistice Day that the portrait was that of Corporal Anderson, of Callander.

On the other side of the world, Geraldine Michael from New South Wales, has now discovered Cpl Anderson’s medals whilst clearing out her late father’s house.

Geraldine’s dad, Leonard Eric Wright lived in Darwin, in the country’s Northern Territory, and was a keen collector of war memorabilia.

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Geraldine, who lives in the city of Queanbeyan, found the medals, as well as a letter addressed to Cpl Anderson’s wife, among her late father’s possessions.

She told the Observer this week: “I found the medals while clearing out my father’s house after he passed away so it put me on the search path for any of Donald’s relatives.

“I know dad did collect war items but how the medals ended up in his possession back in Australia is a bit of a mystery.

“If the family genuinely want them back to keep that would be great.

“I have asked the War Memorial here in Canberra if they were interested and they have such a lot of these medals as it is and are hidden away.

“I did find Donald’s service records along with letters to the Red Cross that his wife and his mother had written when they were looking for him.”

Eric’s interest and collection started during his days in the Royal Navy. He had no known connection to Cpl Anderson and it remains unclear how he came into possession of the medals, but he was known to have bought and swapped war items with other collectors.

Cpl Anderson emigrated to Australia where he was employed as a ‘jackaroo’ – working with sheep and cattle. He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on February 9, 1915, aged 27, and served with the 19th Battalion.

He then fought at Gallipoli and was evacuated to England with severe dysentery. While on leave from hospital in Cardiff he met Dorothy Bailey who he would marry in 1917.

The corporal was later wounded at the Somme, in July 1916, and returned to hospital in England in February 1917 with trench foot. He was not fit to re-join his battalion until early 1918.

He was reported as missing in action and then subsequently killed in action on April 7, 1918, at the Battle of Hangard Wood, northern France. The battle was part of a German offensive in the Arras-St-Quentin-La Fére sector of the Somme and was the scene of heavy fighting.

Cpl Anderson was last seen lying severely wounded in a shell hole during an attack by his company on the enemy position.

The Australian Red Cross Society’s ‘Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files’ had a list of the final soldiers to see him alive. One noted he had been shot below the knee on his right leg. Another told how Cpl Anderson had been wounded on the front line while advancing.

Corporal Anderson’s remains were found in August 1918 by Canadian Forces and he was buried in the Hangard Wood British Cemetery.

Geraldine now hopes to contact surviving members of Cpl Anderson’s family in order to return the keepsakes.

• If you believe you are a relative of Cpl Anderson, then you can contact Geraldine by emailing jejezza@gmail.com.