Woman discovers long-lost family after stranger buys Doncaster WW1 soldier's medals

Jocelyn Trent has now discovered 22 second cousins she knew nothing about thanks to Adam Simpson-York, who has spent lockdown buying unwanted war medals online and reuniting them with families.

The widow, 65, had no clue her grandfather, Charles Leonard Sharman, served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War.

She thought her only remaining family was her daughter, 39, following her husband's death 22 years ago.

Jocelyn, a social worker from Peterborough, said: 'It's like I gained a new family in the space of 24 hours.

'What Adam did was absolutely incredible, he went through so many stages of research to contact me, and was able to tell me things I never knew about my own family.

'All I knew about my grandad was that he had lived in Doncaster and worked on the railroad for 40 years.

'And then to find out I have 22 second cousins that I never knew about - it's been an overwhelming experience.'

She added: 'When I read his message and saw what he had said about the medals I couldn't relate to it, because I didn't know my grandad, and didn't know he had served in World War One.

'But I thought, 'what have I got to lose? I'm going to hold these medals close to me for the rest of my life. It's unbelievable.'

Adam, 35, a postman from Ipswich bought the medals on eBay for £35.

He said: 'It's been really nice speaking to Jocelyn about all this - her excitement and enthusiasm really rubs off on you.

'It's nerve-wracking at first, because you're not sure how people are going to react - not everybody wants to know, and some people don't believe what I'm telling them.

'But I was very lucky that Jocelyn trusted what I was talking about. My main aim is always to reunite these medals with their families.

'They may not cost me very much to buy, but for the people who can get them back, like Jocelyn, they're worth a lot more.'