The granddaughter of Sir Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop has pleaded for thieves who broke into a Melbourne home to return the war hero's medals and correspondence to the family.
Dunlop was an Australian surgeon who became known for saving the lives of hundreds of fellow inmates in World War II Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.
He was revered for his advocacy for veterans and for forgiving his captors.
He died in 1993 after a life where he received numerous honours in recognition of his achievements, including Australian of the Year in 1977.
The home his granddaughter, Diana Dunlop, shares with her partner was broken into over the weekend.
Among other belongings stolen from her home, thieves took a 250-kilogram safe containing Dunlop's war medals and a briefcase full of his correspondence.
Ms Dunlop said the briefcase contained hundreds of love letters exchanged between her grandfather and her grandmother, Helen Ferguson, before they were married.
"It's obviously devastating to have your home completely ransacked and have all these sorts of material things taken," she said.
"But for me, I only care about my grandfather's medals, and my granny's love letters to him when he was in the war.
"I could not care less about the monetary value of the things I have lost, but I am solely focused on recovering the medals."
Ms Dunlop said the medals were awarded for service in a range of countries throughout the war.
Police are investigating the burglary from the home on Williams Road in Toorak, in Melbourne's inner south-east.
The home was broken into between 7:30pm on December 18 and 11pm on December 19.
Senior Constable Matthew Kirby said the safe was taken in its entirety from the home and there were signs of forced entry.
"The value is its historical and cultural significance," he said.
Ms Dunlop said she did not consider the medals hers, but were instead "in safekeeping for future generations of Australians".
She said she wanted the thieves to know they would likely be "sorely disappointed" with the contents of the safe and urged them to anonymously return the items.
"And I just want to stress the fact that these medals to the thieves aren't worth any financial value," she said.
"They're just hugely important, obviously to the family but indeed, the whole of Australia and Australian history."
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.
