World War One medals found in bin bag saved from incinerator by waste management staff

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World War One medals found in a bin bag have been saved from incineration by the waste management staff at a Derbyshire recycling centre

Four medals won during the First World War have been found in a bin bag which was due to be incinerated. The medals were discovered at a recycling centre in Derbyshire.

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The medals were found in a Parker 51 pen case. Amongst them was a British version of the allied victory medal, given to soldiers at the end of the war.

According to the Imperial War Museum, the British version depicts the winged figure of Victory on the front of the medal and on the back, it says ‘The Great War for Civilisation 1914-1919’.

To qualify, an individual had to have entered a theatre of war (an area of active fighting), not just served overseas. Their service number, rank, name and unit were impressed on the rim. Approximately 5.7 million Victory Medals were issued.

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According to the BBC, the person who left the bag at Bretby Household Waste Recycling Centre left before the medals were discovered. Efforts are being made to get in touch with the person.

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: "Items sometimes get thrown away by mistake so we would like to reunite these with the family. If these medals belong to your family then please get in touch with our contractors HW Martin."

28th October 1914:  British soldiers lined up in a narrow trench during World War I.  (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)28th October 1914:  British soldiers lined up in a narrow trench during World War I.  (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
28th October 1914: British soldiers lined up in a narrow trench during World War I. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Pen company Cult Pens gave a tribute to the case the medals were found in. They tweeted to say: “Spotted by one of our fabulous customers, a vintage Parker 51 pen case with medals found inside. A shame the pens are missing but what a great find!”.

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