Scrapped WW1 medal returned to family after 55 years

A World War One medal consigned to the scrap heap and lost for 55 years has been reunited with the 98-year-old son of the soldier originally awarded it.

Willie Greaves served with the West Yorkshire Regiment during the global conflict and was later issued the Victory Medal, however the precious item disappeared after his death in 1970.

After a chance find by a Bradford recycling centre worker, months of research traced its family history and it was finally presented to World War Two veteran Jeff Greaves.

Mr Greaves now plans to wear the medal for the first time at a Remembrance Sunday service in Pudsey, Leeds.

"This medal will eventually go to my son, he's quite family orientated so I know he will look after it," Mr Greaves said.

"It's going to stay with us for a very long time."

It was handed over to Mr Greaves during a recent ceremony at the Dog & Gun pub in Wibsey, with a local veterans group giving him a guard of honour.

Mr Greaves, proudly displaying his father's medal, is set to wear it on Remembrance Sunday

The medal had the soldier's surname, rank and serial number on its side

Former South African Navy seaman David Steinberg unwittingly found the medal while general manager of the recycling centre, sparking the unlikely chain of events.

"During one of my walkabouts I found a whole lot of coins and medals that had dropped off the electromagnets," he said.

"I collected them up, threw them in a box and forgot about them."

He later noticed the WW1 medal among the scrap metal, adding: "I took it to my mate Tommy and told him we had to find somebody that we can give this medal to.

"I want this to go to the family."

Tommy Flynn, one of the founders of the Dog & Gun Wibsey Veterans Group, was handed the medal, with the Bus to Bradford historical research group using the engraved name W GREAVES, rank PTE (private) and serial number 268716 as clues.

Willie Greaves served with the West Yorkshire Regiment and died in 1970

They discovered Willie served with the Leeds Rifles, an infantry battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment.

He was given a military discharge in 1917 after being wounded while fighting on The Western Front at the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt in France.

Next in the chain was Damon Sugden, president of the Pudsey and Farsley Royal British Legion branch, who placed an appeal for information in the Pudsey Squeaker community magazine.

"I got a phone call saying we think this Willie Greaves would be the father of Jeff Greaves," said Mr Sugden, who coincidentally had already met Jeff through the Pudsey & District Civic Society.

"We just couldn't believe it.

"It was just one of the moments of fate where everything comes together."

Mr Greaves, who served with the Royal Navy, said: "Willie was injured in the trenches.

"He had shrapnel in his foot and for the rest of his life he had big, big problems as a result of this injury."

Mr Steinberg, who presented Mr Greaves with his father's medal, said: "Jeff was very touched and completely flabbergasted that this medal has turned up after all of these years.

"It's quite a story - it's a good news story, for once."

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