Hero’s family receives his beloved First World War medal 28 years after it was found in a mother’s garden

A hero’s family have received their beloved First World War medal, 28 years after a mother found it in her garden.

Tanya Dye saw Private Arthur Ablitt’s victory medal while digging her field in 1996.

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She called people by the last name in vain, but continued to hold on to the gong through four moves.

The Royal mail Cleaner then discovered that a colleague was involved in genealogy: Postie Adam Simpson-York.

He used family history websites to track down Pte Ablitt’s great-nephew, Barry Earthy, 76, who plans to frame the medal.

Pte Ablitt served in the Machine Gun Corps.

He survived a shrapnel wound when he married Lillian, and worked on a farm until his death at age 68 in 1963.

Barry said: ‘I had no idea he was in the war. I am so grateful to Tanya and Adam. The medal will remain in our family forever as a reminder of his services.”

Tanya, 53, who is from the same place as Barry Ipswichsaid: “I am over the moon that my 28 year search is over.

“I saw a name on the medal. I kept it because I thought about what it must have meant to the recipient.”

Adam, 37, runs the Medals Going Home page Facebook, added: “I love a challenge and knew I could find the family. Private Ablitt had no children, but his brother Walter had a son whose son was Barry.

“The family was so excited when I reached out. The WWI The generation is over now, and so anything I can do to keep their stories alive is worth it.”