An antique silver cigarette case, belonging to a World War II soldier, has been unearthed by a metal detectorist 82 years after its owner’s death and hundreds of miles from his final resting place. Stan Drew, a native of Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, tragically lost his life on the beaches of Normandy in July 1944, mere months after D-Day. However, last month, his personal possession was discovered in a field within the municipality of Bergeijk, Netherlands, by Filip Krapels. Krapels is now dedicated to piecing together the story behind this artifact and reuniting it with Drew’s descendants in Wales.
Krapels, a veteran metal detecting enthusiast of over 35 years who resides in Bergeijk, near the Belgian border, expressed his astonishment at the find. He noted, “I’ve never discovered anything like this before – it’s always worth going back to check areas you’ve already scanned, because each time the farmer ploughs a field, even more new stuff is raised to the surface.”
The heavily damaged case bears several identifying marks: an anchor symbol, indicating the Birmingham assay office; a lion passant, confirming its 92.5% sterling silver composition; and a gothic ‘k,’ dating its manufacture to 1934. Despite the wear, a faint inscription is still discernible: “Presented to Stan Drew by the committee of the Penarth Central Boxing Club, in appreciation of his loyal service, April 10th 1937.”
Initial damage to the case, particularly a hole Krapels suspects was caused by a bullet rather than agricultural machinery, initially misled his research. Believing the inscription read ‘Ian Drew,’ and finding no record of such a soldier, he eventually realized a letter was missing at the start of the name. With only “an Drew” to go on, Krapels delved into boxing and military archives, eventually identifying Stan Drew.
His investigation revealed that Stan Drew was an infantryman in the 5th Battalion of the 1st Welsh Regiment. Born on November 27, 1912, as the seventh of twelve children, he helped manage his family’s general store. Drew was also a successful amateur lightweight boxer at the Penarth club, which his brother Bert founded to assist WWI veterans coping with what was then known as shell shock. Four of Drew’s brothers also served in WWII, one of whom suffered an amputation. Stan Drew is honored at the Bayeux Memorial in France and at St. Augustine’s Church in Penarth, despite his body never being recovered. His death in Bayeux is officially documented.
The critical question remains: how did his cigarette case end up 370 miles away in the Netherlands? Krapels has formulated a theory. He explains, “After breaking out of Normandy, I’ve learnt that the 1/5th fought their way north through France and into Belgium and the Netherlands. They liberated our regional capital Den Bosch, on their way to Eindhoven and then in the direction of Arnhem in October and November 1944. I think that one of Stan’s comrades must have picked it up and carried it with them all the way. It proves that not only was it very important to Stan, but also that it was something which his friends must have wanted to return to Stan’s family after his death.”
Interestingly, the field where the case was found was not a scene of major combat. This leads Krapels to speculate that the battalion might have stopped there overnight and were either surprised or forced to leave in haste, causing the case to be left behind. Further supporting his theory, Krapels previously found a cap badge bearing the motto ‘Ich Dien’ (I serve) just 2km away – a motto of the Welsh Regiment, which he initially mistook for German.
Filip Krapels has contacted the Penarth community but has not yet gathered much more information. However, he remains resolute in his mission. “For Stan’s sake, but also for the men who believed this case was important enough to take with them, I simply must return it to its rightful home and complete the job that they had obviously intended to do themselves,” he declared. “It’s not good enough to put it in the post. I was given this mission and until I can return it directly into the hands of Stan’s family, it won’t be over for me.”
