The rare 'protection' worn into war by late Anzac veteran
• April 27, 2023
Sandra Young standing proud with the framed photo of her father, Gordon Raymond "Ray" Murdoch and his medals. Photo: Mayank Kumar
Gordon "Ray" Murdoch had a special and rare 'protection' sewn into his coat when he went to war at the age of 24, his daughter explained to interested locals at Papatoetoe Anzac Day Parade.
Sandra Young paid tribute to her late father as she walked the chilly streets with a frame displaying his photos, many of his war medals and his corps hat badge.
"When he was born, he had a caul. The belief was that if you had one of those cauls you'd never drown," she said.
During a rare en caul birth, the baby is still inside the amniotic sac. For sailors, it was a superstitious belief that if you were born with a caul, you were “immune” from drowning at sea. The caul was also said to bring luck to those who carried them on in their endeavours.
"His mother stitched the caul... into his coat - and I've still got it. Now the ship he was supposed to go on, [that would've] sailed overseas from Wellington - but got changed last minute, and that ship sunk," she said.
"During the Second World War, cauls were very high-priced things. Everybody wanted to buy them because it protected the sailors, But I still have it".
Young shared more of her father's war stories with bystanders who were intrigued by the frame and memorabilia she carried.
One koroua (elder) said Young would have been the first to lead the march at his marae due to the significance of her father's legacy.
"You would have been brought on first. Everyone who [lost their loved one] would lead, and then the ceremony would continue... thank you for bringing him here. That's what we would do on our marae."
Gordon Raymond "Ray" Murdoch, served during World War 2 in the 1st Battalion under the New Zealand Scottish Regiment, formed by the New Zealand Army.
The medals included a New Zealand Defence Service Medal (NZDSM), a New Zealand War Service Medal (NZWSM), and other New Zealand Medals for where her father was stationed.
"He was 24 when he entered the army, and these are the service medals for what he did," she said.
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