Theft of Our Heritage Outrages RSA Members

RSA members throughout the country are outraged at the plundering of New Zealand’s heritage from the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru on 2 December 2007.

Thieves stole nine Victoria Crosses, two George Crosses an Albert Medal a Distinguished Conduct Medal a Military Medal and others after breaking into the Museum in the early hours.

RNZRSA National President Robin Klitscher has pleaded for the safe return of these precious medals. He said they may be worth millions but a price could never be put on New Zealand’s heritage. “It’s also a violation of trust and as a result families may be unhappy to have originals put on display and the public may have to view replicas. The thieves have violated New Zealand’s history and everyone who served the nation in war,” Mr Klitscher said.

The families of VC winners have also pleaded for the return of the medals. Virginia Mackenzie, daughter of double VC winner Charles Upham, said the theft distressed her family and “all New Zealanders”. “It’s not only a loss to the family…I think the average New Zealander would feel gutted.”

The medal group of Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham VC and Bar. The Imperial War Museum purchased the medals from the Upham family in 2006 and immediately loaned them to the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum for 999 years.

Doug Elliott, son of Keith Elliott who won his VC in North Africa in 1942, said family members were upset but, “They can steal the medal but they can never take it away from Dad, He’ll always be Keith Elliott VC.”

Ms Mackenzie said she had great faith in the police and was positive the medals would be recovered.

Prime Minister Helen Clark joined Defence Minister Phil Goff in condemning the theft as a “crime against the nation that has revolted the whole country”. Ms Clark said “We all know what those men who earned those medals did. Those medals should not be on the market. They should not be stolen,’ she said on TVNZ’s Breakfast on 3 December.

Mr Goff said, “These medals are national treasures. They were earned by men who served their country with courage and selflessness. New Zealanders will be appalled and disgusted at the greed and self interest of those who have stolen the medals.”

Chief of Army Major General Lou Gardiner also condemned the thieves saying the theft was not just from the Defence Force but from the nation. “These are not just some medals for a collector, they symbolise some huge sacrifices of some New Zealanders. If they [the thieves] have got a conscience I'd like to see them use that conscience to the good of returning them,” he said.

The stolen medals include: Samuel Frickleton, VC World War I; Leslie Andrews VC, WWI; Randolph Riding, Albert Medal WWI; Reginald Judson VC, Distinguished conduct Medal, Military Medal, WWI; John Grant, VC WWI; Harry Laurent, VC WWI; Jack Hinton, VC World War II; Clive Hulme, VC WWII; Keith Elliott, VC WWII; Charles Upham, VC and Bar WWII; David Russell, George Cross WWII; and Ken Hudson, GC Waiouru 1974.

George Cross		Albert Medal

All the medals are engraved with the service number, name and unit or corps of the recipient so can easily be identified.