HOW often do you find a medal given to a First World War serviceman when ripping out the heating? A man from Kent is looking to return a medal given to a serviceman thought to be from the Okehampton area to his family after finding it wedged behind a radiator.

Ernest William Tancock of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers is thought to have died on July 5, 1916 in the Battle of the Somme, notable for being one of the bloodiest battles in human history. His sacrifice was recognised with a service medal — with the service number 22576.

John Blackley, who found the medal, said: ‘I found the medal in 1981 redecorating my son’s bedroom while living in Selsdon in Surrey. The medal was wedged behind a radiator and fell to the floor when I ripped it from the wall.

‘The medal was then mixed in with my father’s belongings and I found it again after sorting through his things after a move.

‘I contacted the Imperial War Museum in an effort to return the medal to Ernest’s descendants. In a letter, assistant curator Martin Anthony told me that finding living descendants of First World War soldiers can be difficult but they did tell me that the medal belonged to an Ernest William Tancock, probably from the Okehampton area.

‘I would love to see the medal returned to the family of Mr Tancock.’

If you think you could be a descendant of Mr Tancock, you can contact Mr Blackley by calling 01732 868344 or via post at Willow Trees, Crouch House Road, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5EH.