HE last thing you expect to find in your local is a slice of history dating back almost 100 years.

Imagine Keith Slater’s surprise then when he uncovered a treasure trove from years gone by.

Keith, 53, landlord of the Kirkfield Hotel in Newton-le-Willows, was exploring the contents of a shed behind the pub.

In a filing cabinet, he discovered a biscuit tin from 1997 – and war memorabilia dating back more than 90 years.

Among items were five medals, four photographs, a driving licence from 1965, assorted badges and a postcard from Singapore.

Also found was a box of German Lagergeld – a currency associated with the Stalag 8 POW camp and the Marquee – a flag presented to escapees so they could identify themselves to the French resistance as allies.

Some badges and a First World War medal indicated that the original owner was part of the Lancashire Fusiliers, an infantry regiment in the British Army.

Other badges, believed to be from the Second World War, pointed to the owner being in the RAF.

One medal was dated 1914 to 1918. Engraved around its rim was the lettering ‘26723 PTE J. S. Hendrick’.

The rest of the medals were from the Second World War era, and a postcard from Singapore, dated 1945, read: “To Mother/Father, from Jack”.

This could indicate two generations of family military history; a father and son.

The driving licence belonged to Mrs Hilda Hendrick. At the time of issue, she lived at 10 Wilson Street, Gorse Hill, Stretford, Manchester.

Keith said: “The medals must have come from a family.

“We think they were probably in the possession of a previous owner. We’ve looked on the internet for POWs from Stalag 8 but so far, we’ve had no luck.

“Ideally, we’d like to seek out the medals’ rightful owner.”

If the name Hendrick rings any bells with you, you can contact Keith on 01925 228196.