A PENSIONER has been on a quest to find his grandfather’s missing World War One medal and is now asking the public for help.
Raymond Poxon, 78, only learnt about his grandfather Henry Poxon’s interesting service three years ago when taking part in an ancestry test.
He told the Chronicle: “I knew he was a soldier who was killed during the war, but when I started to dig deeper I found he was a bit special.
“I received a piece from the London Gazette detailing his life and was really shocked, but very proud.”
Henry served in the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from April 13, 1915 up until his death a year-and-a-half later - he was recognised for gallant and distinguished service in the field and awarded the Military Medal on July 7, 1916.
Additionally, Henry was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD), an honour that provided him with a certificate and the ability to wear an oak leaf on the ribbon of appropriate campaign medals.
His service was seemingly the start of a family tradition in joining the armed forces, with his son William Henry Poxon serving in World War Two, Raymond serving as an infantryman between 1962 and 1974 and Raymond’s son, Thomas Poxon, serving in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately the medal and certificate were lost at some point and due to being previously oblivious to the details of his grandfather’s service, Raymond has struggled to find a place to start.
He added: “I can’t really ask my family anymore because they’ve all passed.
“My father never really talked about him - I lived with my grandma, his widow, for nine months when I was younger but she didn’t mention anything either.
“When I started looking I joined a Facebook group to find more information, they helped me find out some things but we didn’t get very far.
“Retrieving his medal before my own demise would be the greatest gift to my family.”
If anyone has any information regarding Henry’s service or medal, Raymond is asking for them to email him at raymond.poxon@outlook.com.
