The National Army Museum is interested in buying three medals awarded to the only New Zealand Anzac soldier sentenced to death at Gallipoli.
A trio of medals awarded to the only NZ soldier at Gallipoli to be sentenced to death. Photo: SUPPLIED / Noble Numismatics
They were awarded to WWI soldier John Robert Dunn of Wairarapa.
The medals are expected to fetch about $2500 when they are sold at auction in Australia.
Private Dunn was taken to hospital with pneumonia in May 1915, released a month later and assigned to sentry duty while still ill.
Records say an officer found him asleep on duty, and as an example to others he was sentenced to death.
Private Dunn, a former journalist, pleaded guilty at a court martial and was sentenced to death.
That sentence was later remitted due to his health and previous good conduct. He was instead sentenced to 10 years' hard labour.
Three days after his reprieve, Private Dunn died in battle and his sentence was never revoked.
The National Army Museum's curator, Windsor Jones, said the medals had a significant back story and it would be good to have them back in New Zealand.
"The history of how they ended up in Australia is unknown, but it's not anything out of the ordinary. Medals do travel by various means throughout the world."
Mr Jones said the museum would try find out more about the history of the medals before they were sold at the end of the month.
The Noble Numismatics' auction in Sydney closes on 26 March.
