Blind veteran awarded new medals after they went missing on M6
A blind war veteran has been presented with a replacement set of Second World War medals after a Black Country business came to the rescue.
Alfred Barlow, aged 96, was returning home from a pilgrimage to Normandy, France, where he fought on the beaches more than 70 years ago, when the medals were lost last month. But now Awards and Honours in Compton Road, Wolverhampton, has donated a replacement set of medals and mounted them for a special presentation held at Hampton Court yesterday.
Tony and Angela Kirk both run the specialist business and were so moved by the story they decided to help for free when approached by a fellow veteran Alan Walker, aged 58. Mr Barlow’s wife Masie and his grandson noticed they were missing after he visited Norton Canes services near Walsall on the M6 Toll on June 8.
Crimestoppers has offered £5,000 and actor Hugh Grant an additional £1,000 to reunite Mr Barlow with the 1939-1945 Star, the France & Germany Star, the 1939-1945 War Medal and the Palestine Medal. But yesterday he was presented with replacements – a mixture of real and replicas – by Mr Walker, 58, a fellow blind veteran from Hassocks, West Sussex. Speaking at a ceremony organised by Blind Veterans UK at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Mr Barlow said: “I’ve got some replacements now. It’s not quite the same, but nevertheless I have got some medals that I have earned.”
Mr Barlow, who served with 3rd (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Reconnaissance Regiment, and landed on Sword Beach at 10am on D-Day, June 6, 1944, said he was ‘bitterly disappointed’ when he realised the medals were missing.
Tony Kirk, 62, said: “We were happy to supply some original and a replica medal. We restore medals to go on display for people.” Anyone with information about the lost medals is being asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or the Blind Veterans UK hotline on 0800 389 7979.
