One man's mission over Bloxwich war hero's medals
'He died for freedom and honour,' says the inscription on one of the First World War medallions in Tony Hackwood's hand.
Now, 98 years after its recipient, Private Tommy Smith, was killed in action at the Somme, Mr Hackwood is trying to trace his relatives to present them with his medal collection.
Mr Hackwood, aged 74, received the medals from his late wife Kathleen's step-aunt who lived next door to Tommy Smith, a First World War soldier.
When she died, Violet Smith left them to the couple but to mark the centenary of the Great War, Mr Hackwood wants to give them to the soldier's relatives.
He said: "Kathleen was close to Violet and when she died she gave us the medals
"Violet wasn't related to Tommy in any way – she just lived next door to him in Sneyd Lane in Bloxwich. She never told us why she was given the medals."
The medals include the British War Medal and Victory Medal, affectionately known in the forces as 'Mutt and Jeff', although it appears that at some stage the ribbons have been swapped around.
They are accompanied by the Memorial Plaque, a large bronze medallion which was presented to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war.
The medallions were issued during the 1920s and 30s to the families of fallen soldiers. Five inches in diameter, it features an image of Britannia holding a trident, and standing next to a lion.
Mr Hackwood said he had done some research into Mr Smith's life story.
"I have got a 1911 census which says that Tommy was married to Ellen Baugh and together they had three sons aged 11, 13 and 15," he said.
"It may be that some of his family are still living in Bloxwich because his name has been placed inside All Saints Church."
He was killed in combat in France in 1916 aged 35 and his name is listed at the Thiepval Memorial which commemorates 72,191 missing men who died in the Battles of the Somme between 1915 and 1918 with no known grave. Mr Hackwood, of Andrew Close, said he believed some of the family may have moved abroad because there has never been an appeal from anybody looking for the medals.
He added: "They have been sat inside a wardrobe and after my wife died two years ago, I was having a clear out and I dug them out. With it being the centenary of the First World War I couldn't think of a better time to try and trace their rightful owner."
Has your family got any tales from WW1? Email us at newsdesk@expressand star.co.uk or call 01902 319410.
