Medal comes home

It began when a treasure hunter using a metal detector found the British War Medal beneath the ground in a field in the parish.

The finder sold it to a Rye jeweller for 10 and the jeweller contacted antiques dealer Ken Nunn to see if he was interested in it.

'The man knew I collected militaria items,' said Ken. 'He let me buy it for what he paid for it.

'Then I started wondering if the soldier who received the medal Jesse Banks survived the war.

'I started checking with the War Graves Commission and discovered that Private Banks, son of farmers James and Agnes Banks of Bridge Farm, Pevensey, was killed in action at Arras, France, on May 10, 1917.

'He was 19 and a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery. He is buried in Faubourg, D'Amiens.'

The trail ended at that point until Ken attended a talk given by local historian Hugh Miller relating to World War One and the effect that it had on the local Pevensey population.

'After the meeting, on impulse I asked Hugh about Jesse,' added Ken.

'To my amazement he said Jesse's descendants still lived in the area and were friends of his.

'On the spot I decided to find them and give them Jesse's posthumous decoration.

'I felt it right and proper that they should have it. It seemed so sad to me to think of a local lad who had never before left the country dying in such a way with countless others on the Western Front.

'I hope they will cherish it.'

On Friday, Ken was able to hand over the medal to Eric Banks, second cousin of Jesse.

'I am very honoured to receive it. It was a great kindness of Ken to think of us,' said Mr Banks.

'Of course, I never knew Jesse. We didn't even have a photograph of him as an adult. We shall always treasure his medal. It's on the mantlepiece and it looks terrific.'