Latest news with #Ormandy
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Misplaced belt finds way home
The mystery surrounding a World War 1 soldier's army money belt has come full circle. It began when Oamaru genealogist Faye Ormandy found the well-loved belt at the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park shop last November. Two medals attached to the belt dated to 1904 and 1921. Along with the medals were pre-1936 coins, an Otago Boys' High School button, and badges for the Long Range Desert Group, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, the Ancient Order of Foresters, collar pins, and a New Zealand Army medic's badge. Mrs Ormandy donned her sleuth's hat and with the help of Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Sean Brosnahan, it was determined the 1904 medal inscribed to a G. Robertson (possibly Gunner Robertson) might be from an artillery shooting competition for army volunteers held in Port Chalmers in 1904. Last month Mr Robertson's granddaughter made contact with Mrs Ormandy about the soldier's belt, and her grandfather's attached medal, after seeing the story in the Oamaru Mail . The soldier's army belt, which they believe belonged to Mr Robertson who served in WW1, had accidentally been misplaced in a move and the family were happy to have it returned, Mrs Ormandy said. "They are thrilled to have it back. It's gone back to where it needed to go," she said. "The granddaughter was excited to learn more about the Robertson family heritage discovered in my research but preferred to stay anonymous," Mrs Ormandy said. A member of the Waitaki Society of Genealogists, Mrs Ormandy also traced the other medal to a Corporal Henry Percival Dickel (known as Percie) for the 880 yards relay race at St Bede's College in Christchurch in 1921. She returned the "priceless" medal to his son Noel Dickel and his family in Dunedin last Christmas, and saw a photo of Percie, in his 1921 sports relay team at the college. Percie had been a member of the Scottish Battalion and a quartermaster sergeant and served in Egypt in World War 2. Although questions remain about any connections between the two soldiers, Mrs Ormandy was satisfied with the result of her search. "It closes the story for me. "It's just good to know that one medal has gone back to the Dickel family, and I know how much it meant to them. "And the same, with the family, for the Robertson medal and belt," she said.
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'Priceless' medal found at Oamaru recycling centre
The mystery of a "priceless" medal found at the Oamaru recycling centre and given to the family of a World War 2 soldier has partly been solved. It began when Oamaru genealogist Faye Ormandy found a soldier's army belt at the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park shop last November. She began to trace its origins, including that of two medals attached dating to 1904 and 1921. One of the medals was engraved: "P. Dickel, awarded for the 880 Yards Relay Race at St Bede's College in 1921". Mrs Ormandy found out the recipient was a Corporal Henry Percival Dickel (known as Percie). He had served in Egypt during World War 2, and has a son, Noel Dickel, living in Dunedin. Mr Dickel senior had apparently excelled in sports at St Bede's College, where he also won eight other events during the Christchurch school's first annual sports competition in 1921. As a result, Mrs Ormandy tracked down and returned the medal to Noel Dickel and his family last December. "It was really nice that his whole family was there. "The fact that they had the photo of Percie with the relay team and all their medals was just superb," Mrs Ormandy said. Noel Dickel, now 86, said it was great to have the "priceless" medal returned. His father had been a member of the Scottish Battalion and a Quartermaster Sergeant. He lost his rank and became a Corporal in going overseas. Mrs Ormandy said they still have questions about the medal, as the St Bedes College archives only date back to 1922. This included why Percie Dickel, of Port Chalmers, ended up at school in Christchurch. "The family don't seem to know and St Bede's haven't got records of it. That was a bit of a mystery. "How did the belt end up at the Oamaru recycling shop?" In her initial research, Mrs Ormandy found the army money belt may have been awarded as a prize. The other medal on the belt, dated 1904, was for a G. Robertson with the initials PR. Mrs Ormandy said hopefully, that medallion could be returned to the appropriate family. But finding information on a G. Robertson in any army archive was a struggle. One question has been answered. With the help of Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Sean Brosnahan, they believe the medal was possibly from an artillery shooting competition for army volunteers held in Port Chalmers in 1904. "It's the most logical thing that's come out of anything that people have looked at," Mrs Ormandy said. "I think the G was probably for Gunner Robertson, so it might not necessarily be the initial for his first name." And there are questions how the Dickel and Robertson names were connected. "The coins on the belt are right up to the late 1940s." Mrs Ormandy would still like to locate Robertson descendants and to determine the original owner of the belt. If anyone has any further information they can contact the Waitaki Society of Genealogists.
