A YORK man is hoping to re-unite a First World War campaign medal with the family of a soldier who received it almost a century ago.

David Neal, of Huntington, said he found the medal in some turf which he bought in 1972 for his garden in Reigate, Surrey, where he lived at the time.

He said he brought the medal with him when he moved to York in 1996, and now research by his daughter had revealed that, by great coincidence, he had unwittingly returned it to the owner's birthplace.

"The medal is inscribed with the name S-7338 PTE P H GRUNDON A.O.C," he said.

"My daughter, Sarah Mansford, has done extensive online searches and is convinced the medal belonged to Private Percy Heseltine Grundon who enrolled into the Army Ordnance Corps on November 5, 1912, and was discharged on June 5, 1918.

"There was only one P H Grundon listed in the 1901 and 1911 censuses who was old enough to have enlisted and he was Percy Heseltine Grundon, who was born in York on 17 December 1893 and baptised in Newton-Kyme on 17 January 1894. All I have to do now is find a living relative to look after it."

Mr Neal said there were several Grundons living in York who might or might not be related to Percy.

"From what we think we know about Percy, at the time of his birth his father, Thomas Grundon, worked as a chocolate confectioner in York. The family lived at 29 White Cross Street.

"Thomas married into the Heseltine family; hence Percy's middle name. Percy married Sarah Emma Woodward in Paddington in 1915 and they had a son, Thomas Joseph, in 1922.

"After his discharge he joined the railways as a fitter at Old Oak Common Station in West London. He lived at addresses in Uxbridge and Hayes, Middlesex before dying in Worthing in 1970."

Mr Neal said that so far, he had been unable to trace any of Percy's children or grandchildren but was hoping there might be some York-based relatives of his two brothers, Adolphus and Harold, who could help.

*Anyone who can help return the medal to Percy's family should contact Mike Laycock on 01904 567132 or email mike.laycock@thepress.co.uk