War memento among misplaced rail items

A precious Prisoner of War medal has been reunited with the relieved nephew of a WWII soldier, after it became one of thousands of items lost on the Queensland Rail network this year.

Queensland Rail station customer service delivery manager Tony Gurowski said the medal was found by a station staff member who placed it in the Lost Property hub at Brisbane’s Central station for safe keeping.

“It’s such a nice feeling when you can reunite a customer with their lost item and it means the world to us to see the Pacific Star war medal returned to the family,” he said.

“CCTV shows the couple leaving the medal on the ticket booth at Birkdale station on Remembrance Day before walking away.

“The lost property team tried to track down the family through numerous avenues including Police and RSL connections, but the mystery was solved when the rightful owner came forward.

“We’d like this to be a reminder for our customers to be mindful when travelling on our network and remember to take your belongings with you.”

Neville Coghlan expressed his gratitude to

Queensland Rail staff who retrieved the family heirloom and sent it to his home in Adelaide.

“My sister gave me the medal while we were out at lunch and it was housed in a little round cuff link box my parents won in a dance competition, so I was devastated when I couldn’t find it,” he said.

“The station master helped us get a ticket when we were at Birkdale heading home and while we were doing that, my mind drifted and when I got on the train I realised it was gone and thought, oh no I’m in a bit of trouble here!”

“I filled out the lost property form online, which was very easy to do, and after a few sleepless nights I got a phone call from Queensland Rail confirming that they had the medal with them.

“The medal belonged to my uncle, Bernard Patrick Coghlan, who was a prisoner of war on the Burma Railway in World War II, and the family were relieved to have it back so I’d like to pass on a huge thank you to Queensland Rail staff for finding it and keeping it safe.”

The medal was one of thousands of items found by Queensland Rail on the network this year and many remain in lost property waiting for their owner to come forward.

Other lost items include a giant tapestry with an image of bright tigers, a bookcase and a number of wheelchairs and mobility walkers.

Customers who might have lost an item on the network are encouraged to call the lost property office on 13 16 17 during business hours or fill out the online form on the Queensland Rail website.