A 97 year old World War Two veteran has had his war medals stolen from his home while he was sick in hospital.
William Fearn, who lives in Hodge Hill in Birmingham, had been admitted to hospital over the last few weeks for ill-health.
While he was in hospital his home was broken into by burglars and as part of their haul they stole William’s war medals. The medals include an Africa Star, a Defence Medal and other medals for his part in World War Two.
Police are now investigating the burglary and are seeking the public’s help to identify the thieves and get William’s medals returned to him. The West Midlands Police Force is urging anyone with information to contact them directly.
William first joined the British Army in 1940 when he was deployed to North Africa to fight German troops who had occupied the region. He was then sent to Malta with his regiment, where they spent the next two years defending the island from possible German invasion.
While the medals might look valuable, they are worth more in sentimental value than monetary value. The medals were given to all soldiers who served in World War Two thus many exist across the country. Therefore while they are invaluable to William and his family, they are probably only worth very little on the open market, the ITV News reports.
William and his family are devastated that the medals have been stolen, and are also urging anyone who knows where they are to get in touch with the police.
The local police are still analyzing local CCTV footage and talking to local residents and business owners in the area to try to find out who committed the crime. They are also talking to local second hand goods buyers and antique dealers to see if anyone has been trying to sell the medals.
The police say that they are eager to protect the valuable property that war veterans cherish so much.