Sunderland abandoned case reveals WW1 father and son's past

Among the documents is a scroll bearing the king's coat of arms which reads, "let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten"

A case has been found abandoned in a skip in Sunderland containing letters, photos and documents dating back to World War One.

The contents reveal the story of John Cowie, 51, and his son Henry, 18, who were killed within days of each other on the battlefields of France.

It had been discarded as part of a house clearance and was discovered by staff at Thompson Waste Centre.

Gareth Thompson said he was "absolutely gobsmacked" to find it.

"It's amazing. It's a chunk of not only local history, it's world history," Mr Thompson added.

The medal is inscribed with John Cowie's name and the words, "he died for freedom and honour"

Research carried out by a local historian, revealed that John died just 10 days later than his son Henry.

Among the items in the case were letters addressed to John's wife and Henry's mam Ellen in Southwick Road, Sunderland.

A medal, a soldier's small book, a scroll bearing the king's coat of arms and the official notification of John's death were also discovered.

The research also found that a second son, George, also saw active duty when he was 18, but survived the war.

Among the papers in the case is a letter signed by Winston Churchill thanking George for his service

Waste centre owner, Anne Ganley, said she wants to ensure the two men "will never be forgotten" by organising a memorial service and funding a stone at Sunderland's Memorial Walk.

She said: "We don't know exactly who the case belonged to... but I am pretty sure it must have been Ellen's and to think of her carefully storing these letters and the death certificates of her son and husband, is moving beyond words."