Chester war hero has medals stolen day after 90th birthday

Oct 6 2011 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

Chester war hero appeals for return of his medals

HEARTLESS thieves stole a war hero’s medals a day after he celebrated his 90th birthday.

The family of Cheshire Regiment veteran Jim Davies, of Upton, hope this article will prick the conscience of whoever took the medals into handing them back.

Mr Davies had enjoyed a wonderful birthday weekend with family and friends when he went across the road to play cards with neighbours on Monday night.

He returned at about 10.30pm to find the house ransacked with his six medals missing along with a flat screen TV, a Sky box and a bottle of whisky bought as a present.

“I think they are rotters,” said Mr Davies, who lost his second wife Jean just 20 months ago. “If I could catch them they might have one or two things broken.

“I feel rough – taking things like that which are really valuable, not as in money, but because of what they are.”

Mr Davies served as a private with the first battalion of the Cheshires in Malta, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Egypt during the Second World War. He later worked at Williams & Williams in Liverpool Road making window and door frames.

The grandfather and great-grandfather remembers his fallen comrades by visiting Normandy and attending Remembrance Sunday at Chester Cathedral.

His furious daughter Linda Williams says the burglars weren’t even deterred by her father’s 90th birthday cards in the living room.

Mrs Williams, whose son Leon got engaged on his grandad’s special day, said: “He served in the war and put his life on the line.

“You have a little bit of happiness and a 90th birthday party and then you find out some toe-rag has come in and just wrecked everything. Let’s hope somebody’s conscience is pricked.”

Anyone with information is asked to call DC Nigel Moore at Cheshire Police on 01244 616147 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.