Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Grandad's war medals sought

By Liz Wylie
Whanganui Chronicle·
3 Oct, 2016 08:51 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Rifleman Thomas Cannon served in two world wars but where are his medals?

Rifleman Thomas Cannon served in two world wars but where are his medals?

Thomas Birkby Cannon of Whanganui served in two world wars and was awarded five medals.

Now his granddaughter, Lorraine Cannon would like to know what has become of them.

It all started when she contacted the late Wendy Pettigrew, former chairwoman of the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust.

"Wendy helped me send grandad's photo for publication in the Onward Project and I got an email from one of the publishers to say he knew a collector who had the medals."

When she tried to make contact with the Whanganui collector, Ms Cannon discovered that he had died and his widow did not know what had become of the medals.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I think they may have been sold online and might even have gone to an overseas collector," said Ms Cannon.

"I would really like to know where they ended up and bring them back to the family if I can."

Thomas Cannon was 19 when he enlisted for WWI and his occupation was recorded as mechanic.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He became a rifleman in the Expeditionary Forces and would be awarded the 1914-15 star, the British war medal and the Victory medal.

He returned to Whanganui after the war and married Anastasia Symons.

The couple had five children and one who died in infancy (Ms Cannon is the daughter of their only surviving son).

When WWII was declared, Thomas Cannon would enlist again although he was in his late 40s.

"He didn't serve overseas in the second war because of his age but he was awarded two more medals," said his granddaughter.

A photo of her grandfather, taken after WWII shows him wearing his WWI medals as well as the 1939-45 war medal and the NZ regular war service medal for WWII service.

Ms Cannon said all the medals will be engraved with her grandfather's service number 24/1347.

"I was only 10 when he died so I wasn't thinking about his war service or medals then but I have become very interested in recent years," she said.

The Onward Project seeks to locate and publish a photograph of every member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who served overseas during WWI.

Three volumes have been published and a fourth volume is due for publication next year. Anyone wishing to submit photos can find information at fairdinkumbooks.com.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

If anyone has any info, please contact the Chronicle.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found

Whanganui Chronicle

End of the line for former St George's School buildings

Whanganui Chronicle

Netball: Kaierau edge Pirates in thrilling Premier 1 clash


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found
Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found

Kahu Gill's body was recovered near the Cobham Bridge on July 14.

16 Jul 08:34 PM
End of the line for former St George's School buildings
Whanganui Chronicle

End of the line for former St George's School buildings

16 Jul 06:00 PM
Netball: Kaierau edge Pirates in thrilling Premier 1 clash
Whanganui Chronicle

Netball: Kaierau edge Pirates in thrilling Premier 1 clash

16 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP