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

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".

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

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.

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?"

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.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]s