Family pleads with thieves to return stolen medals

Maryanne Bland never met her father-in-law but has always kept black and white photos of him and the medals that were proudly pinned on his chest.

But on Halloween thieves broke into her Albany Creek home, through a glass door, taking the medals.

"I'm actually gutted. It's the only link we have to my late father-in-law and that side of the family," she said.

"They came into the bedroom and opened the door. I had a safe down there and a couple of extra boxes to hide it and they probably said, right we've got the loot."

The safe didn't contain cash but something worth much more.

"They call it a pin of seven medals including the Africa Star," said Maryanne.

"It's important to those men. They contributed a lot to world peace and they deserve the recognition," said RSL State President, Terry Meehan.

Hassall Bland Senior was born in South Africa in 1913.

He served in North Africa and the Middle East during World War two.

That's all his family knows about his deployment.

The past was too painful to talk about.

Now relatives are angry the memorabilia is gone.

"It really hurts me. Yesterday I walked into my home and I wanted to pick up something and throw it," said Maryanne.

Maryanne's children and their children have worn the medals at ANZAC day parades.

"That's my proudest moment," said Maryanne.

To the thieves the medals are worthless but to Maryanne and her family, they're priceless.

She wants whoever stole them to anonymously hand them in to an RSL branch or police station.

"I don't want to know who you are I just want the medals back," said Maryanne.