The Timaru Herald25 Aug 2021Esther Ashby-Coventry
Medinella Fauth holding the medal that she found at Patiti Point. She wants to find the person who owned it, so she can give it back to them.
Medinella Fauth, 6, with some ‘‘treasure’’ she found on a Timaru beach. It appears to be a World War 1 badge, but who does it belong to?
A bronze and silver army badge found on a Timaru beach has left questions and, as yet, no answers.
Medinella Fauth, 6, found what is believed to be a World War I Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps cap badge about a metre from the bottom car park at the south end of Patiti Point beach on the edge of an underground creek, her mother Roselyn Fauth said.
They were walking at about 6.30pm last Thursday when Medinella found the ‘‘treasure’’.
‘‘She thought it was treasure. She’s always been excellent at finding tiny things,’’ Roselyn Fauth said.
She said they have managed to identify it through help from the South Canterbury Museum, it has been reported to police, and they would like to reunite it with its owner or family of its owner.
Though similar badges are valued between $10 and $300 on armed forces memorabilia sites, it was the sentimental value which was of importance, Fauth said.
‘‘It looked like it was thrown out of a car window as it was not dirty and the ribbon was not attached and found nearby.’’
She said the badge was bronze with a silver tank on it with two silver ferns and the letter ‘S’ on the other side along with badgemaker J Gaunt engraved on it.
Though the Fauths have put out a call for the owner on social medal no-one had come up with any leads yesterday.
Fauth said she was still confident they would eventually find where the badge came from and be able to return it to its home.
