A FAMILY has expressed its gratitude to a collector who returned medals and other memorabilia that belonged to an Essex mariner who fought in the Second World War.

Captain Charles Stone, known by relatives as uncle Charlie, schooled in Mistley in his youth and first went to sea at 14 years old in 1906.

It was the start of a distinguished 50 years at sea which saw the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, rescue sailors from drowning in the Atlantic after being torpedoed in the Second World War and become the longest serving commodore in the General Steam Navigation Company’s history.

Captain Stone’s medals were sold at a Richard Winterton Auction on September 28 but have since been returned to his family.

Dave Stone, 53, of Mistley is Captain Stone’s great nephew and detailed the situation.

He said: “It was a complete shock because the medals disappeared mysteriously after Uncle Charlie’s death in 1983.

“We used to see Uncle Charlie a lot because he lived in Bradfield, when he died I believe his medals went to one of his friends.

“I was alerted to the initial story in the paper about the auction and got in touch with the buyer through the auctioneers.”

Dave emailed the buyer explaining the situation and received a reply the same day.

Within six days Dave and his family met the buyer in Birmingham to make the exchange.

Dave added: “The buyer was a nice bloke and very interested in the history of the items so that was good.

“The items even included a lock of my great grandmother’s hair dated 1893.

“My father last saw her in 1941 before he was evacuated to Australia, when he got back in 1946 she had died.”

The family will now decide on what to do with the items, Dave’s father led the charge to retain the bits, he was also in the Navy and is now 91.

Dave said: “I’ve got some things to add to it then we’ll make a decision, it could be split between the family or possibly donated to the Greenwich Maritime Museum which also has some items of uncle Charlie’s.”