Eu Day Light

The "Victory Medal" awarded to the family of Scottish soldier John Docherty after he was killed on the Gallipoli Peninsula during the Gallipoli Campaign was found buried in the ground near Quellington in Western Australia a century later. Australian Rhys Hall, who discovered the medal with his metal detector, ensured that it reached Docherty's great-great-grandson.

Rhys Hall, who works in landscaping in the Perth Hills region of Western Australia, also searches with a metal detector as a hobby and discovers historically interesting military items.

Hall, who has found numerous badges, pieces of trench art and even identity tags, told a HİBYA correspondent that he has a personal collection but donates some finds to local museums and returns personal belongings to their families.

Hall said that the items he finds with his metal detector have sparked a strong interest in history, but noted that there are certain rules governing his hobby. Searching protected historical sites is prohibited, and he conducts searches only on private property where he has obtained permission from the owners.

Stating that he knew the Gallipoli Campaign took place during the First World War, Hall said, "I do not support wars, but they interest me because they are part of history. I also have ancestors who fought at Gallipoli on behalf of Britain and Australia."

Medal returned to the family after a century

Rhys Hall said that one day, while conducting a search, he found a medal bearing the inscription "Pte John Docherty 9097 AIF".

Hall said he tried to reach Docherty's family but was unsuccessful. He noted that a message he then sent to the president of the Geraldton Historical Society marked the beginning of an extraordinary story. "Within a few hours, thanks to military records, immigration documents and family history research, the journey behind the medal gradually began to emerge," he said.

Hall reported that Docherty's service number was 9097 and that he served in the 8th Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). He was killed in action at Gallipoli on June 28, 1915, at the age of 34, and his name is commemorated on the Helles Memorial in the Seddülbahir area.

How did the medal reach Australia?

Rhys Hall said that after John Docherty's death, he left behind his wife Catherine and four daughters.

Hall said the real mystery was how the First World War medal came to be buried in a field near Quellington in Western Australia. He explained:

"Then there was an important breakthrough. Passenger records were found for the ship 'Largs Bay', which arrived in Fremantle, Australia, in June 1947. According to the records, John Docherty's daughter Mary had emigrated to Western Australia with her children Margaret and William. Their destination was listed as 'York, Western Australia, via Iron Bark Burgess Siding'. This information directly linked the family to the area where I found the medal. Suddenly, everything made sense. The medal must have been lost while the family was living at Ironbark Farm. It then remained hidden underground for decades before resurfacing while I was searching with my metal detector."

Medal reaches descendant

Hall said that after tracing the family tree, the Geraldton Historical Society was able to contact John Docherty's great-great-grandson, Jason McCracken.

Hall said it was a source of happiness for him to ensure that the medal was safely returned to where it belonged, to the family, and concluded:

"For the family, the return of this medal reignited their interest in their own history and their connection to John Docherty's story. For everyone, this became a wonderful reminder that even the smallest artefacts can carry extraordinary journeys across generations and continents. This medal, once thought to be lost forever, has finally come home again. In this way, a family was reunited with an important part of its own story. It has been a great privilege for me to be part of this process."