A World War I service medal belonging to an Ōpōtiki soldier has been reunited with his descendants after spending more than 60 years in private hands.

Hamilton resident Lance Lillas handed the medal of Rifleman Robert Patrick Kelly to members of the Kelly family at meeting in Whakatāne recently.

Kelly, service number 56442, was a blacksmith from Ōpōtiki before serving in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during World War One.

Lillas said he was given the medal around 1958 by his cousin, Bill Currin of Tāneatua, who collected military memorabilia.

“When I sold most of my collection a few years ago, this one came back to me because it was considered quite common,” Lillas said.

The medal remained in a drawer for decades until a television programme about lost medals being returned to descendants inspired him to investigate its origins.

Through military medal specialist Mel from NZ Military Medals in Hamilton, Lillas was able to identify the soldier and learn more about his background.

After contacting the Ōpōtiki News in the hope of finding surviving relatives, the story quickly reached members of the Kelly family.

David Kelly said the name immediately rang a bell when he saw the story.

“I’d heard stories about him growing up,” he said.

Kelly recalled family connections to the blacksmith shop in Kelly Street and said the medal represented an important link to the family’s history.

Also attending the handover was Fred Croswell, another descendant who has helped preserve the family’s genealogy through reunions and historical research.

The Kelly family traces its roots back through Ireland, Tasmania and early settlement in New Zealand, with family records documenting several generations in the Ōpōtiki district.

Lillas said returning the medal to its rightful family was always the goal. “It is an historical item and should be with the family if they can be traced.”

Kelly said family members were grateful for the effort taken to track them down and hoped the medal would remain connected to future generations.

The family is also considering working with the RSA to ensure Robert Kelly’s service continues to be remembered.