Kirkfield Keith and the Mystery Medals
THE last thing you expect to find in your local is a slice of history dating back almost a hundred years. Imagine Keith Slater’s surprise, then, when he uncovered a treasure trove from years gone by!
Keith, 53, landlord of the Kirkfield Hotel in Newton-le-Willows, was exploring the contents of a shed behind the pub when he moved in two years ago. In a filing cabinet there, he discovered a biscuit tin from 1997 - and the war memorabilia he found within was much older.
Among items found in the pub were five medals, four photographs, a driving licence from 1965, assorted badges and a postcard from Singapore.
Also found was a box of German Lagergeld - a currency associated with the Stalag 8 POW camp and the Marquee - a flag presented to escapees so they could identify themselves to the French resistance as allies.
Some badges and the WW1 medal indicated that the original owner was part of the Lancashire Fusiliers, an infantry regiment in the British army. Other badges, presumably WW2, pointed to the owner being in the RAF.
One medal was dated 1914 - 1918; engraved around its rim was the lettering ‘26723 PTE J. S. Hendrick’.
The rest of the medals were from the WW2 era, and a postcard from Singapore, dated 1945, read ‘To Mother/Father, from Jack’. This could indicate two generations of family military history; a father and son.
The driving licence belonged to Mrs. Hilda Hendrick. At the time of issue, she lived at 10 Wilson Street, Gorse Hill, Stretford, Manchester. “The medals must have come from a family,” Keith said. “We think they were probably in the possession of a previous owner. We’ve looked on the Internet for POWs from Stalag 8 but so far we’ve had no luck.
“Ideally, we’d like to seek out the medals’ rightful owner.”
If the name Hendrick rings any bells with you, you can contact Keith on 01925 228196.
Keith, 53, landlord of the Kirkfield Hotel in Newton-le-Willows, was exploring the contents of a shed behind the pub when he moved in two years ago. In a filing cabinet there, he discovered a biscuit tin from 1997 - and the war memorabilia he found within was much older.
Among items found in the pub were five medals, four photographs, a driving licence from 1965, assorted badges and a postcard from Singapore.
Also found was a box of German Lagergeld - a currency associated with the Stalag 8 POW camp and the Marquee - a flag presented to escapees so they could identify themselves to the French resistance as allies.
Some badges and the WW1 medal indicated that the original owner was part of the Lancashire Fusiliers, an infantry regiment in the British army. Other badges, presumably WW2, pointed to the owner being in the RAF.
One medal was dated 1914 - 1918; engraved around its rim was the lettering ‘26723 PTE J. S. Hendrick’.
The rest of the medals were from the WW2 era, and a postcard from Singapore, dated 1945, read ‘To Mother/Father, from Jack’. This could indicate two generations of family military history; a father and son.
The driving licence belonged to Mrs. Hilda Hendrick. At the time of issue, she lived at 10 Wilson Street, Gorse Hill, Stretford, Manchester. “The medals must have come from a family,” Keith said. “We think they were probably in the possession of a previous owner. We’ve looked on the Internet for POWs from Stalag 8 but so far we’ve had no luck.
“Ideally, we’d like to seek out the medals’ rightful owner.”
If the name Hendrick rings any bells with you, you can contact Keith on 01925 228196.