At Damascus Barracks in Pinkenba, Tom Foster’s family finally received his WWII medals, missing since 1985 and returned after 40 years.
A Historic Handover
The medals, once awarded to Tom Foster for his service with the First Ambulance Brigade in Tobruk and the Middle East, were handed back to his grandson, Grant Tebbutt.
The return took place in September 2025, after decades of uncertainty since the medals went missing in 1985. The handover closed a chapter for the Foster family, who had feared the medals were gone forever.
The Journey of the Medals
The medals turned up at Army Headquarters with no explanation of where they came from. They were handed to Colonel Glyn Llanwarne, who noticed the service numbers and names etched into the metal.
That small detail gave him a starting point to track their rightful owner. After weeks of research, he traced the medals back to Tom Foster’s family. Llanwarne has spent more than two decades returning lost medals, bringing pieces of history back into families’ hands.
A Family’s Relief
Grant Tebbutt, who works at Joint Logistics Unit South Queensland, received the medals on behalf of his family. He shared how his parents were devastated when they went missing decades ago.
Their return, he said, brought both relief and a sense of closure. His father, Ivan, had carefully kept old photos and records that now sit with the medals. At Damascus Barracks, the handover highlighted that these medals carry the weight of lived service and family memory.
Preserving Local Military History
Both Defence officials and the family acknowledged that interest in Australia’s wartime history is growing. Items like medals hold value not only for families but also for communities that remember the contributions of local service members.
The medals’ return underscored the importance of protecting these artefacts and ensuring they find their way home when lost. Families are encouraged to report found medals to Defence or veterans’ organisations, rather than selling them, so they can be properly researched and restored to their rightful place.
Published 2-October-2025
