The medals of a farm labourer who served in the First World War found in an Ipswich garden have been returned to his family. 

Adam Simpson-York, of Shannon Road in Ipswich who traces antiques to living relatives as a hobby while working as a postman, said the medal was unearthed in a garden in Kelly Road but nobody knows how it got there.

Ipswich Star: Adam Simpson-York has reunited more than 100 pieces of wartime memorabilia with late servicemen's relatives.Adam Simpson-York has reunited more than 100 pieces of wartime memorabilia with late servicemen's relatives. (Image: Adam Simpson-York)

The 38-year-old postman recently appeared on This Morning to talk about his work as the founder of Medals Going Home.

The Ipswich resident has helped to reunite more than 100 pieces with families since he began two years ago. 

On his latest reunion, he said: “Someone from work told me that they once dug up a medal in their back garden at a previous address.

“She brought it in for me and I got straight to work!”

In a Facebook post he explained the history behind the medal and said it belonged to Arthur Bertram Ablitt, born on April 22nd 1895 in Capel St Mary, Suffolk.

His father, Joseph, was 39 and his mother, Anna, was 35 when he was born.

Joseph was an agricultural labourer and the family were living in The Street, Capel St Mary.

The 1911 census shows the family living at Barrack Cottages, Capel St Mary, Ipswich.

At this time Arthur was aged 15 and was working as a farm labourer.

Arthur served during the First World War with the machine gun corps and was entitled to the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

Mr Simpson-York says he was with the 55th battalion and that one document suggests he may have suffered a shrapnel wound.

Ipswich Star: The medal belonged to Arthur Bertram Ablitt.The medal belonged to Arthur Bertram Ablitt. (Image: Adam Simpson-York)

Arthur married Lilian May Clarke in April 1923 in Ipswich.

In 1939 he was still working as a farm labourer and living with his wife on London Road, Copdock.

He died in April 1963 in Copdock at the age of 68.

Mr Simpson-York explained how he had worked all this out: “The medal is engraved.

“Around the rim it has a service number with initials, a surname and what regiment the recipient was in.”

He said he put those details into a genealogy service called Findmypast and added “then you start building a family tree but instead of going backwards in time you come forwards”.

Mr Simpson-York explained he had then got in touch with Arthur’s great nephew, Barry Earthy.

“He told me his address and I sent it to him and I rang him to make sure he got it. He said ‘oh I’m so happy. I’m so happy I’ve got this back.’”