Learning from my Uncles Second World War Service Medals

Family history often involves some digging using a wide variety of sources. You might not think of some of these sources at first, but they can provide you with information you did not have before. For instance, the World War Two medals given to me by my Uncle Amos Hiltz provided information about his activities during the Second World War. For example, his medals include the France and Germany Star awarded for one day or more of service in France, Belgium, Holland or Germany between D-Day and May of 1945. It’s clear he was active in one or more of these areas during his military life even if he never discussed where he may have fought. He was also awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, so I can conclude he completed about eighteen months worth of voluntary service between September 1939 and March 1947. Pictured above is a photograph of my uncle with his medals. He passed away about a year ago. The photograph is dated 1942 and although both the medals and photograph are in a wooden case which may not be best for their long term care, I respect that was how it was presented to me.

Clifton Hiltz in uniform.

Uncle Clifton Hiltz, a brother to Amos Hiltz, also served in World War Two and his medals are displayed at his home in New Ross, Nova Scotia. Many of them are similar to those of his brother Amos, but I have more information about his military service. Based on information complied by Sharon Meister Kashuba, he served with the North Shore (New Brunswick) regiment as a private in the infantry. Her research places him in Holland, Belgium, and Germany. He was discharged in October of 1943. Now ninety years old his war experiences are a difficult subject for him to talk about. However, his letters do provide details or glimpses into his war time experiences. Since moving to Ontario I have been corresponding with him by regular mail and I visit with him when I travel home (usually twice a year).

If you have any service medals military or civilian that have been passed down through your family, check them out. Learning something about them can tell you a lot about your relatives and the events that shaped their lives.