This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-35950863
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 'Lost' war medals returned to family by litter pickers | 'Lost' war medals returned to family by litter pickers |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Two eagle-eyed litter pickers found a box of medals from WW1 and the Second World War while clearing areas of the River Lodden, in Berkshire. | Two eagle-eyed litter pickers found a box of medals from WW1 and the Second World War while clearing areas of the River Lodden, in Berkshire. |
| The medals have now been returned to the descendants of the two recipients, who were both in the Royal Navy. | The medals have now been returned to the descendants of the two recipients, who were both in the Royal Navy. |
| Litter pickers found the medals in a cash box which was on the river bank. | Litter pickers found the medals in a cash box which was on the river bank. |
| Using the medal inscription, members of Swallowfield Village Hall were able to find the owner's descendants via an ancestry website. | |
| 'Absolutely shocked' | 'Absolutely shocked' |
| Martin Moore and Russ Hatchett discovered the cash box on 19 March. | Martin Moore and Russ Hatchett discovered the cash box on 19 March. |
| Mr Moore said: "We took it back to the village hall check that there wasn't anything interesting in there and low and behold, there was something interesting in there." | Mr Moore said: "We took it back to the village hall check that there wasn't anything interesting in there and low and behold, there was something interesting in there." |
| The medals from WW1 were awarded to Petty Officer Oliver Reed, who fought on the HMS Noble in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. | The medals from WW1 were awarded to Petty Officer Oliver Reed, who fought on the HMS Noble in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. |
| The Second World War medals were awarded posthumously to Mr Reed's son Alfred. | |
| He was an Able Seaman on the HMS Cornwall in 1942, when it was sunk by a Japanese dive bomber in the Indian Ocean. | He was an Able Seaman on the HMS Cornwall in 1942, when it was sunk by a Japanese dive bomber in the Indian Ocean. |
| Mr Reed's great great-nephew Oliver Dunn-Hipp said he was "absolutely shocked" when he received an email about the medals. | Mr Reed's great great-nephew Oliver Dunn-Hipp said he was "absolutely shocked" when he received an email about the medals. |
| He added: "I was close to deleting the email because I thought it might be junk, but thankfully I didn't. | He added: "I was close to deleting the email because I thought it might be junk, but thankfully I didn't. |
| "It's unbelievable and I'm still shocked by it." | "It's unbelievable and I'm still shocked by it." |
| Mr Dunn-Hipp, from London, said he had "no idea" how the medals ended up on a river bank in Berkshire, but hoped to find out more. | Mr Dunn-Hipp, from London, said he had "no idea" how the medals ended up on a river bank in Berkshire, but hoped to find out more. |
| The medals were returned to Mr Dunn-Hipp in a ceremony at Swallowfield Village Hall on Saturday. | The medals were returned to Mr Dunn-Hipp in a ceremony at Swallowfield Village Hall on Saturday. |