A Manx family gave their thanks to the metal detectorist who found their grandfather’s First World War medal.

Alan Whybrew, Neil Whybrew and Stewart Cubbon were overwhelmed when they were presented with their grandfather Tom Stewart Cubbon’s Victory medal earlier this month.

The campaign medal was found by a member of the Manx Detectorist Society, Ronnie Clucas, who was detecting the fields behind the Witches Tower in Castletown.

It later took the society, with the help of Matthew Richardson from the Manx Museum, nine years to return the medal to its rightful owners.

Alan, from Colby, said: ’We didn’t know the medal existed. Our grandfather didn’t mention the war much, but that wasn’t because he was trying to extinguish memories.

’The medal was badly corroded and recipients name and number only barely visible. After a lot of work cleaning up the medal, obtaining records from the Ministry of Defence and from Castletown Metropolitan Band, the Manx Detectorist Society finally found their man, and then with the help of the Manx Museum our family.

’Tom Stewart Cubbon’s family wish to express their appreciation of all this patient work, especially to the finder Ronnie Clucas, the Manx Detectorist Society and Matthew Richardson of the Manx Museum.

’The family remember Tom Stewart as a musician and a bandsman. He played the cornet beautifully and won a gold medal for his playing at the age of 14.

’He worked as a joiner for King William’s College and later for Harry Corrin, a builder then having a work shop and yard in Shore Road, Castletown. He lived next to The Buchan School and had a daughter Eileen and a son Edwin. Tom later died in 1960.

’Edwin was also a member of the Castletown Band and at one time their oldest player. He was delighted to see the medal and hear the story of how it was found. Like his father he also served in a world war, but in Burma.’

One question that played on the minds of the Manx Detectorist Society members was whether the medal had been thrown away by Mr Cubbon or if it had been simply lost in Castletown.

’That he may have thrown the medal does not really fit with Tom Stewart’s character,’ said Alan. ’He was a very patient man and not one to bear any sort of resentment. In fact he served in Germany for a short time after the war and was billeted for that time on a German family.

’We think the medal was simply lost, perhaps in moving house.’