“My father really earned these medals as those men went through hell”

The daughter of a second world war prisoner of war said she was “delighted” to receive her father’s long-lost war medals. Frank Swift, a butcher by trade born in Aspley in Nottingham, was called up to serve in the war in 1939 in the Territorial Army’s 107 South Nottinghamshire Hussars, a volunteer cavalry regiment. He fought in the Siege of Tobruk and the Battle of Knightsbridge, but was taken as a POW during the latter and died in captivity in December 1942, and was later buried in Milan War Cemetery.

His daughter, Beryl Mason, a resident of Lancaster Grange Care Home in Fernwood, was just 11 when he died and her father was awarded four medals — the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-1945, and the 1939-1945 Star medal — after his death but sadly these were delivered to the wrong address and the family never received them. Charlotte Thompson, head of activities at Lancaster Grange, explained that it was during an enrichment activity at the home — armchair travelling — where Beryl had first mentioned seeing her father’s grave as they talked about Milan. Her god-daughter, Sally Smith, had tried to track down a set of medals but had no luck.



Beryl then shared his story with Balderton’s RAFA welfare officer Chris Gangel during Remembrance Day last year, and he set to work to track down four medals from an original batch that was cast at the time of the war, and was successful. The medals which the RAFA had mounted by Framing ‘Ell in Newark, along with a high-definition copy of a photo of Frank and the details of his service printed alongside them, were presented to Beryl on her 94th birthday on Sunday (April 27). They were presented to her by former commanding officer for South Notts Hussars Lieutenant Colonel Richard King and Colonel Tim Richmond, honorary colonel for South Notts Hussars, and leader of Nottinghamshire County Council Sam Smith.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard King also presented Beryl with a hat pin that her father would have worn on his uniform. Beryl said that she “couldn’t believe” that she now had her father’s medals, and that she had just wanted to cry upon receiving them. “He [my father] had really earned these medals as those men went through hell and no-one knows exactly what they went through.

” Chris said it was a “team effort” tracking down Frank’s medals: “It was a pleasure to do this for Beryl, she was really emotional that day and it this is what it took to give her happy memories, then so be it — we were happy to help.” Sally added: “It’s been so nice of the RAFA and they have been amazing.” Lieutenant Colonel Richard King also presented Beryl with a hat pin that her father would have worn on his uniform.

.