Wellington, Jan 4 NZPA - A Waikato man is thrilled to have his father's stolen war medals back after a chance find by a motorist.

Chris Jeffs kept all 12 of his father Raymond George Jeffs' war medals in a steel safe which was taken from his Whatawhata home on December 23.

His father was a wing commander in the Royal Air Force based in England during World War 2, flying Mosquito fighter planes.

Days after the theft, Mr Jeffs received a late night phone call from a Manurewa man who noticed the safe "half sticking out" of the Waikato River at Huntly when he stopped for a meal break, The Waikato Times reported.

The safe had been prised open but, though some items had been taken, each of the 12 full size and miniature medals remained.

Mr Jeffs drove to Auckland the same night to pick up the medals which included an OBE.

"Losing those medals really stuffed my Christmas. It was like my father dying all over again," he said.