FAMILY of similarly-named soldiers may solve a mystery about whose World War I and II medals were found damaged in a Melbourne creek.
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The five medals were badly tarnished and had their ribbons frayed beyond repair when recovered from a St Albans waterway in December.
Ex-soldier Peter Duncombe received the medals and using details etched on them and service records from the Australian War Memorial thought they belonged to Roy Stanley Richards, late of Wangaratta and Staghorn Flat.
On Sunday, he presented them to Mr Richards' daughter Robyn Chambeyron and her family alongside Wodonga policeman Anthony Chamberlain who assisted him in his detective work.
However, yesterday morning Mr Richards' medals, which had not been seen since his wife's passing in December, were found at the bottom of a box filled with bereavement cards dating to his death in 2004.
It appears the medals could belong to Roy Stanley George Richards, from Yerong Creek at the time of his enrollment in World War I, or Roy Stanley Richards born at Beechworth in 1909 and a World War II fighter.
Mrs Chambeyron's father was born in 1919, meaning he could not have served in World War I.
She and her husband Peter are keen to find descendants of the rightful owner of the medals.
"We'll get them to the right people, both my husband and I won't rest until that happens," Mrs Chambeyron said.