Just found Medals of HMAS Sydney ll crew member from Kormoran sinking

...I think. I assume they are the real thing. Did they issue medals posthumously?

 

Do you have photos or a link to the story?

 

and what about a little hello in the introduction section?

 

Hi all,

My father and I had been rummaging around the loft and came across the two campaign medals.

I’ve done some preliminary research and understand that in Australia the sinking of HMAS Sydney is quite a significant event (I’m English, writing from London).

Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Sydney_(D48) and a doc done by ABC Australia (on YouTube) showing how they found the wreckage a couple of sources.

It’s a fascinating story to add in our efforts to pull together the family tree.

Skipper

Absolutely. Very uncivil of me. I'll do that now!

 

Well, if that is the case, then yes, the crew of the HMAS Sydney II were eligible for campaign medals, and they were issued posthumously to family members. Although, they would be ineligible for the Pacific Star(eligibility began on 8 December, 1941), unless, of course, they had served on the Sydney II and had been transferred elsewhere prior to the ships sinking.

I was under the impression that you had a crewmember's medal for the Kormoran sinking specifically, and to the best of my knowledge, no such medal had been issued - unlike the one issued to the crew of the Sydney I for the action against the Emden or the crew of the Sydney II for her action against the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni).

 

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Thanks for info on star Takao, very helpful

Think my headline was a little misleading (needed a comma!). As you say, no specific medals given out for the sinking of Kormoran itself. These are the Australia Service medal and 39-45 War medal. My great grandmother must have received them when her husband - Lead Torpedo Man Hector McDonald Mutch - died. His name is on the memorial in Australia I've since found out.

What did a lead torpedo man get up to?