Army helps with WWI medal search

Lynne Brown is hoping to return the medal to Pte Jones' family

A woman's quest to locate the family of a soldier whose World War I medal she unearthed in her rhubarb patch is receiving help from the Army.

Lynne Brown, from Manafon, near Welshpool, started her mission to track down the family of Private George Jones after making her shock discovery.

She has since found that Pte Jones was a soldier in the Cheshire Regiment during The Great War.

The regiment's archivist has agreed to help and is looking through records.

An Army spokesman said the regiment, now part of the Mercian Regiment, was making inquiries.

In the meantime, Mrs Brown has discovered that Pte Jones lived in her house in Powys after WWI, which then was then divided into two.

Back garden

"It seems he was quite a character," she added. "From speaking to local people I've found that his name was George and he was very deaf.

"He is said to have worn a trilby hat tied up with string and once advertised for a wife.

"It appears as though he found a wife, but locals think they didn't have any children."

Meanwhile, a number of people have emailed BBC News Online about the find.

Herkiran Toor said his research showed it was a British War Medal, and not a general service medal as Mrs Brown had first thought.

Kim Bannerman, from Canada, said a Pte G.W. Jones was listed on a WWI memorial at St James' Church in Gateshead, in the north east of England.

Mark Walters, from Four Crosses in Powys, said Pte Jones had served in the Labour Corps as well as the Cheshire Regiment.

Mrs Brown said she was delighted with all the help she was receiving.

She discovered the silver award after it glinted in the sun in her back garden near her rhubarb patch.