AROUND 8am on Monday morning Manning River Times editor, Toni Bell opened an email.
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Sent at 10.26pm on April 26, Lisa Laidlaw from Flemington, Melbourne had special news for two local residents.
Hello,
My name is Lisa, she had typed.
I have found a war medal, the 1914-15 star, in a donation box at the Vinnies charity store I work in at Port Melbourne.
It has inscribed on the back 2062 Pte, A.G. Elbourne 19/BN A.I.F.
My search had brought me to an article on your website on March 25 2015 about this soldier and his brother from the Tinonee region.
I would appreciate if you could pass on my details to Darcy Elbourne or Marie Black so I can arrange to return the medal to the family.
King regards,
Lisa Laidlaw
Shortly after opening the email, editor Bell made a phone call to Darcy Elbourne.
As senior vice-president of Taree RSL Sub-branch and chairman of the Taree 2015 Anzac Day Planning Committee, you would expect he would be taking a well deserved rest after organising and attending various ceremonies over the weekend.
Not quite, as Mr Elbourne had been sitting in his home 'office' when he answered the phone call.
Editor Bell told him about the email she received. "It was a good call to be able to make," she said.
Soon she could hear him rustling papers looking to find his grandfather's service number 2062.
As editor Bell read aloud the number, Mr Elbourne found that indeed, this was his grandfather Albert George Elbourne's World War I 1914-15 star medal.
Mr Elbourne contacted Lisa straight away, and by Wednesday the medal sat proudly in his hand.
Lisa told Mr Elbourne after she found the medal she looked up Albert's service number on the Australian War Memorial website.
From there, she searched the area of Albert's origins and found online the Manning River Times article "Anzac Day to have Tinonee tie".
The article was written by Times journalist Lachie Leeming on Darcy Elbourne and cousin Marie Black's relatives Arthur Douglas Elbourne and Albert George Elbourne, who each served in World War I.
Albert suffered serious injuries during war, while sadly his younger brother Arthur had died at war, just shy of 21.
The medal that was found was Albert's. This medal, Darcy explained was given to all WWI serviceman who served from 1914-15.
"It was something I never expected to happen," said Darcy.
"This is probably the most valuable thing I have now."
Before this, no-one in the family knew what had happened to the medals.
The mystery remains as to how it wound up in Melbourne.
Other medals of Arthur's and Albert's are still missing, including Albert's war medal and victory medal. Arthur's death medallion is missing also.
"I am also anxious to find the pocket watch given to Albert at Tinonee Hall upon his return," Darcy said. "I have often wondered what had happened to it."
This Anzac Day Mrs Black wore her uncle's medals. Mr Elbourne will now be able to wear his grandfather's.