Can you solve Peter’s puzzle over war medals?

PETER COTTINGHAM, from Glasgow, recently decided to mount his late father Andrew’s war medals.

He passed away in 2006 and left his military honours to his son. Andrew had a long Army career, beginning when he was 19, where he served with the Scots Guards in the Second World War.

He was posted to Tripoli in 1942 but returned home the following year after being wounded in action at Enfidaville, Tunisia.

After the war ended, Andrew left the Scots Guards, only to re-join the military in 1953.

He went off to Rhodesia, where he joined the Rhodesian Army and rose up the ranks. With a young family in tow, Andrew returned home in 1964.

Despite his distinguished career, Peter says his dad never talked much about his military days.

After his father’s death, Peter began sorting through his medals, which he kept in a bag.

However, he soon found something amiss.

There was the 1939-45 Star, the Defence Medal, the African Star, the Italy Star and the War Medal. That all seemed correct and in order.

But wait a minute, there was something else in the bag.

Peter reached in and pulled out another two medals.

One was the Korea Medal and the other the United Nations Medal for Korea. He was certain these couldn’t be his dad’s, because he had never served in Korea.

On closer inspection he noticed a name engraved on one of the medals – Private J. L. Wilson of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, number 22201193.

Mystery surrounds who Private Wilson was and Peter can only guess as to how his father obtained the medals.

He suspects the private may have been part of his dad’s regiment in Rhodesia and might possibly have been killed there.

Perhaps Andrew was tasked with going through his personal belongings. Peter is determined to return the medals to Private Wilson’s family and is looking to track.

If you have any information that might help, please email mail@sundaypost.com