Handbook and WW2 uniforms donated to Limerick charity shop reunited with owner's son
A handbook and two US Navy uniforms dating back to World War 2 that were donated to a charity shop in Limerick have been reunited with the owner's son in America.
Charity shop worker Sarah was intrigued by the handbook when it was donated to the shop and wanted to investigate further.
The signed handbook gave her a name to work with and allowed her to research the man and discover his War Draft Card which opened a door of new information.
Sarah found information such as what school he went to, to his Obituary but the mystery remained as to how the uniform of a man who lived and died in America ended up in Limerick.
She wanted to reunite the handbook with the family of the person who originally owned them, thinking they were too great to sell on in a charity shop in Limerick.
With a bit of an online research, Sarah and her friend discovered that the man who owned the uniforms lived and died in the United States - his name Robert Barton.
Ray D'Arcy spoke to Sarah yesterday and overnight Ray received an email from a man in California, Bruce Armstrong, who told Ray that he believed he knew the son of this man.
Sarah contacted the Ray D'Arcy show for help and the team got in touch Robert's son Michael through some phone calls who was able to confirm that the uniforms were, in fact, his fathers'.
Michael joined Ray on air and thanked Sarah for her hard work in getting the uniforms back to their family.
I want to thank Sarah for her hard work and diligence in tracking us down, it's just amazing.
He said that his father referred to the uniforms as his dress blues which he used for formal occasions in the navy and they were kept in pristine condition.
How they made it to Limerick, Michael said that the people who bought his dad's house in the foothills in the 80s were Irish and that they may have relocated back to Ireland.
He thinks they may have brought the uniforms back with them.
