THE descendants of Private Fred Bott of the West Yorkshire Regiment have been reunited with his medals which he earned during the First World War.

Fred was killed fighting in the trenches of the Western Front on the Somme on May 18, 1918. The medals, The British Victory Medal and the War Medal had been issued after the war to his widow, Elizabeth, who lived at 13, Wellington Road, Ilkley.

Fred’s medals subsequently left the family’s possession and four years ago were advertised for sale by a dealer in the south of England. Sharp eyed Ilkley resident, James Cooper, a military history enthusiast, saw the advert and with the determination to bring them back to Ilkley, bought both medals.

On the hundredth anniversary of Fred’s death members of his family visited his grave in the British Military Cemetery near to the French village Bienvillers. Anxious to find out more about their relative, an internet search brought the family to the Facebook page, ‘Ilkley remembers’, which chronicles the stories of the men from town who lost their lives during World War One and where by chance, James Cooper, had posted a photograph of Fred’s medals.

Andrew Bott, Fred’s grandson (himself a veteran of the Falklands Conflict in the 1980s) contacted James to ask if he would return the medals to his family. A positive response brought Andrew and his two brothers, Richard and Tim to Ilkley on Monday evening. In the appropriate setting of Ilkley War Memorial, Private Fred Bott’s medals were returned to his family.

James Cooper said: “The medals belong with the family and I was more than happy to return them”.

A delighted Andrew Bott reported that the medals would take pride of place in his home alongside the medals won by his own father, a Royal Marine Commando who was amongst the first men ashore on D Day in 1944. Andrew and his brothers were also able to relate how their grandfather’s death had affected his widow, Elizabeth, and her four young children who were left fatherless. They also brought with them a delightful and poignant photograph of Fred surrounded by his wife and children which was taken just before he was sent to the Front.

Edward Wild who runs and researches the ‘Ilkley remembers’ Facebook page said: “In this hundredth anniversary of the end of The First World War many people from across the world have been in contact with ‘Ilkley remembers’ to express gratitude at being able to understand more about the lives and deaths of their Ilkley forbears.

He went on to say: “This is an extraordinary story and one which has the most wonderful happy ending”.