A metal detectorist is looking to reunite a 100-year-old war medal with its rightful owners from Colchester.
Sean Filkins is an avid metal detectorist who has been exploring the south coast over recent years.
Alongside other enthusiasts, he made an astonishing find, a First World War medal, hidden under layers of dirt near Chichester, but given to a man around 130 miles away in Colchester.
He said: “I started detecting four years ago this July. I am the admin for a local detectorist club called Through The Ages Detecting, based in and around Portsmouth on the south coast.
“We had a club dig at a farm in Funtingdon, just west of Chichester. I found the medal in pasture about four to five inches down.
“As it is bronze, it gave me a perfect signal. I thought it was a coin at first, something like a George 3rd Cartwheel penny, but as soon as I cleaned the dirt off, I realised what it was.”
The unearthed treasure turned out to be a Victory Medal, which was award in September 1919 and given to soliders who were part of military operations between August 1914 and November 1918.
The Victory Medal was never issued alone. It was given to all those who received the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star, as well as to most of those who were awarded the British War Medal.
The medal displayed the recipient’s name, rank and serial number, which gave Mr Flikins clues as to who the rightful owner of the metal was.
He said: “His name was Private E. Hughes, the regiment being R.E., the Royal Engineers, and his regimental number looks like 116956.”
Mr Filkins is now trying to find Mr Hughes relatives and is hoping to find them still where the Private used to live.
He added: “I looked up his records and found he was from Colchester. It would be great to find a living relative so that I can pass the medal on.“
Mr Filkins is happy to get in touch with Mr Hughes relatives via the Gazette newsdesk at gazette.newsdesk@newsquest.co.uk.
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