Metal detectorist finds WW2 soldier's cigarette case hundreds of miles from where he died
Summary
A metal detector enthusiast in the Netherlands found a silver cigarette case belonging to World War Two soldier Stan Drew, who died in Normandy in 1944. The case was discovered 370 miles from where Stan died, and efforts are underway to return it to his family in Wales.Key Facts
- Stan Drew was a soldier from Penarth, Wales, who died on the Normandy beaches on 24 July 1944.
- His silver cigarette case was found in a field in Bergeijk, Netherlands, by metal detectorist Filip Krapels.
- The case was presented to Stan in 1937 by Penarth Central Boxing Club, where he had been an amateur boxer.
- The case is made of 92.5% sterling silver and has marks showing it was made in Birmingham in 1934.
- Filip believes the hole in the case was caused by a bullet during the battle of Normandy.
- After Normandy, Stan’s battalion fought north through France into Belgium and the Netherlands, possibly explaining how the case traveled so far.
- Stan Drew is commemorated at the Bayeux Memorial in France; his body was never found.
- Filip aims to return the cigarette case to Stan Drew’s descendants in Wales.
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