Search on for soldier's family after medals return to Cannock from Canada

John Alfred Hallum fought in the South Staffordshire Regiment and died in January 1919. He was 21 years old.

The son of George and Sarah E. Hallum of Brindley Heath, Private Hallum is buried in Cannock Cemetery and is mentioned on the Hednesford War Memorial.

Dave Bevington, aged 55, a manager at an engineering company in Toronto, bought the medals online and has now donated them to the Museum of Cannock Chase.

Mr Bevington said: "I was born and lived in Cannock for 37 years before moving to Vancouver, Canada in 1997.

"I am not really a collector but I am very interested in history and have accumulated a few photos and letters related to the Great War camps on the Chase. I saw these medals for sale and thought I would get them due to the local interest, especially as he is remembered on the Hednesford Memorial.

"The seller from Scotland said that he purchased them with a collection a few years ago and had no records of where they came from.

"I did a bit of research on Private Hallum and couldn't see any type of family connections that I could reach out to in the Chase area online, so I took them back to Cannock on a recent visit and offered them to the museum. It would be nice if a family member does get to see them one day."

Rachel Gentle, visitor services officer at Cannock Chase Museum, said that they would love to find out more about the medals.

"Any information about Private Hallum can be added to the artefacts and help put the objects in context," she added.

"It is quite an unusual surname so it should be easy for people to realise he is a relative or for others to research him.

"World War One memorabilia is very important, because there's so few of them now. We're always on the look out for interesting and unique pieces."

Anyone with information should contact the museum on 01543 877666.