WW1 soldier's Cardiff family traced after Henley identity tag find

The battered, homemade disc provided enough information for Simon Hobson to track down its owner

A metal detectorist who discovered a soldier's World War One identity disc in a field is to return it to his family after he tracked them down.

Simon Hobson, 54, found William Thomas' disc near Henley, Suffolk, in December.

His research revealed the Welsh private served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and died "of his wounds" aged 22 in 1915, during the Gallipoli campaign.

Mr Hobson said tracing the man's family, who live in Cardiff, was "better than discovering a gold coin".

It belonged to William Thomas, who like many World War One soldiers, appears to have created his own metal dog tag in addition to his Army-issue asbestos fibre disc

He served on HMS Salta (above) during the Gallipoli campaign and Mr Hobson was able to buy this photograph of the ship online

The detectorist, who lives in Ipswich, has been searching the Henley field for three years, after getting the landowner's permission.

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He initially thought the grubby disc was an old milk bottle top but, as he sprayed a little water on the find, he saw the writing.

"I called over my two chums who were detecting elsewhere in the field, and we huddled around and started to make out words and some numbers," he said.

One of his Facebook contacts sent him this photo, including William Thomas (third right) eating ice cream in Cardiff

He also found the private's dependant's pension information, detailing how he died

Mr Hobson, who works for a local housing authority, then used the MOD War Detectives Facebook site and family history websites to track down the right William Thomas "within a day".

Further Facebook appeals helped him find a photograph of the medic, a short newspaper obituary and put him in contact with Mr Thomas' great niece and her daughter.

It is still a mystery as to how the Welsh medic's identity disc ended up in a field in Suffolk.

Mr Hobson said: "He might have been posted to Shrubland Hall, which is quite near and was requisitioned as a military hospital.

"But one of my Facebook appeals turned up that he had a girlfriend called Gwen, who was a music teacher near Cambridge, so maybe he was visiting her?"

And through his Facebook appeals, he received a copy of William Thomas' obituary in a Cardiff newspaper

Mr Hobson and his wife plan to visit Cardiff to meet Mr Thomas' family and give them the disc.

He said: "It sends tingles down my spine, if I'm honest.

"This is better than finding a coin hoard or a gold coin - it's all about uncovering the history.

"I'm so glad I've found it and can return it to his family."

There are tips on metal detecting on the BBC podcast The Localist - Suffolk.

Mr Hobson will deliver the dog tag in person

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