A retired detective's discovery of World War II medals inside a piece of furniture he bought at a garage sale in Melbourne's east more than a decade ago has sparked a search for the recipient's family.
The former homicide squad detective bought the second-hand wooden furniture in the Doncaster area, but only recently discovered it held a mystery.
The 77-year-old set of medals consists of the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal and Australian Service Medal 1939-1945.
It is believed they belonged to David Bruce Welsford who was born in August, 1924, and passed away in 2001.
Mr Welsford's wife was Lorrie Welsford and she passed away in 1999.
Search for relatives focused on Melbourne's east
Despite the former detective's three-decade career digging up crucial evidence and piecing together clues to provide answers for the Victorian community, finding Mr Welsford's next of kin has him stumped.
He handed the medals into his local police station in Warrandyte.
Investigators have confirmed Mr Welsford lived his entire life in the eastern and north-east suburbs of Melbourne, with his last known address being in Doncaster.
It is believed he and his wife did not have children of their own, but Mrs Welsford may have had some from a previous marriage.
Senior Constable Tim Lewis said the search for relatives in the eastern suburbs has reached a dead end.
"We've exhausted all the avenues of inquiry and got all the way up to the President of RSL Victoria, who knew the owner of these medals personally," he said.
"But we haven't found any extended family yet."
Police are appealing for help from the public to track down any relatives of the Welsfords so the medals can be passed on.
Anyone with information can contact Warrandyte Police Station on (03) 9844 3231.
