It’s an amazing find but so sad... Remembrance Day is coming up and the thought that someone would just throw this away... if it was a member of my family I would have this one on the wall
SEARCH FOR WW2 HERO’S FAMILY AS MEDALS ARE RECOVERED
FOUND dumped in a skip, the hunt is now on to find who owned this lovingly framed collection of a WW2 hero’s medals.
Chris Low, depot supervisor at NWH Waste Services in North Shields, spotted the impressive haul as he searched a skip which had been returned to the base for hazardous items.
He discovered the framed display, featuring photographs, medals, and decorations from the uniform of a member of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, who served during the Second World War.
Behind the display, he found the typed service record of Corporal Arthur Grew.
Chris said: “It’s just an amazing find, but it’s also so sad; with Remembrance Day coming up soon, the idea that someone would just throw this away.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the forces.
“My dad was a serviceman, he served in the Falklands and Northern Ireland, so the British Army is in my family.
“I think any proud English man or woman respects what they did for us in that war, and wouldn’t like to see this thrown away.
“I don’t know if it was a mistake, but it seems a shame.
“If that was a member of my family I would have that one the wall, because it’s a lovely thing.”
Corporal Grew was enlisted in 1940, where he served as a rifleman, according to the information found alongside his medals.
According to the information Chris found, he served in the Middle East, and was described as having “very good” military conduct.
He was issued with four medals: the Africa Star, the 1939-1945 Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-1945.
After the conflict, he was released to the Regular Reserve, from which he was discharged for medical reasons in 1952.
The skip the medals were found in came from a derelict building in Hexham, so Chris, 31, from Newcastle, speculated his family may come from this area – and he’s eager to get the collection back to them.
He said: “I put it on social media, and I’ve had hundreds of messages, people really care about it.
“I hope we get it back. Everything this man has done for us, it doesn’t deserve to be left in a skip.”
A spokesperson for NWH group added: “As we approach Remembrance Day, NWH Group is very grateful to Newcastle depot supervisor Chris Low and Newcastle operations manager Andrew Turnbull for preventing these medals from being destroyed or inadvertently recycled.
“We are also very thankful to the general public for sharing the post and trying to help us trace the rightful owner of this wonderful memorabilia which should be treasured.
“The medals are being retained for safe keeping by the NWH Group until the rightful owner is identified.”
■ Do you think you might know Corporal Grew or his family? Email hannah.graham@reachplc.com and we can put you in touch with NWH.
I hope we get it back. Everything this man has done for us, it doesn’t deserve to be left in a skip. Chris Low