Detectorist hunting for family of First World War veteran after unearthing mysterious war medal from field in Diss

The anonymous detectorist dug up the relic at a spot known as 'Fish Barn Field' near Diss Police Station.

A metal detectorist is hoping to reunite a family with a First World War veteran after discovering his war medal in a field in Norfolk.

The anonymous detectorist dug up the relic at a spot known as 'Fish Barn Field' near Diss Police Station.

At first, he thought the object was a silver coin from the 1920s before quickly realising that it had an uncharacteristic knob at the top that the medal's missing ribbon band was once attached to.

The detectorist thought the medal was just another coin at first (Image: Supplied)

"Generally I find things like coins and belt buckles," he said. "To find something so tangible with the name of a person from the war attached to it was amazing.

"I've been detecting since I was seven and you never find anything with a name attached to it other than the names of royalty on coins."

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The medal reads 148797 which can be traced back to being awarded to Pioneer Henry George Wells of the Royal Engineers following the First World War.

At first the detectorist thought the mysterious medal could've belonged to The War of the Worlds author H.G. Wells before discovering that he was never given a medal for his service.

The silver war medal was awarded to pioneer Henry George Wells of the Royal Engineers (Image: Supplied)

However, it was then found that a veteran was receiving a war pension in the name of Henry George Wells up until 1920 and that the Imperial War Museum had a copy of a certificate confirming the medal's origin.

How the medal ended up discarded in a field in Norfolk remains a mystery.

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"You don't wear a dress medal in a field, they're reserved for special occasions like November 11," the detectorist added. "His son could've lost it in the field after playing dress-up as a soldier wearing the medal.

"Or it could've fallen off the top of a rubbish truck after being thrown away. A lot of soldiers didn't want to remember the war.

An official document kept by the Imperial War Museum confirms the medal's connection to Henry George Wells (Image: Supplied)

"My grandad was in the Second World War and he didn't even claim his medal."

The detectorist would like to reunite the medal with the family of Henry George Wells and anybody with any further information should email harry.jackaman-pegg@newsquest.co.uk