Dutch Metal Detectorist Discovers Welsh WWII Soldier's Silver Cigarette Case 370 Miles from Normandy Death
A silver cigarette case belonging to World War Two soldier Stan Drew, who died on the Normandy beaches on 24 July 1944, has been unearthed by a metal detectorist in the municipality of Bergeijk, Netherlands. The discovery, made 82 years after Drew's death and some 370 miles from the site of his demise, has initiated a search for his descendants in Wales.
Filip Krapels, a long-time metal detection enthusiast, found the badly damaged case in a field last month. The item bears Birmingham assay office hallmarks, confirming its 92.5% sterling silver content and 1934 manufacture. Despite significant damage, including what Krapels believes is a bullet hole, a partially legible inscription dedicates the case: "Presented to Stan Drew by the committee of the Penarth Central Boxing Club, in appreciation of his loyal service, April 10th 1937."
Initial research by Krapels, who resides near the Belgian border, faced challenges due to the damaged inscription. However, he eventually identified Stan Drew as an infantryman with the 5th Battalion of the 1st Welsh Regiment. Drew, born in Penarth in 1912, was a successful amateur boxer and helped manage his family's general store. He is commemorated at the Bayeux Memorial in France and St Augustine's Church in Penarth, though his body was never recovered.
Krapels theorises that one of Drew's comrades carried the case hundreds of miles through France, Belgium, and into the Netherlands after the Normandy breakout. The 1/5th Welsh Regiment advanced north, liberating Den Bosch and proceeding towards Eindhoven and Arnhem in late 1944. The field where the case was found was not a major battleground, suggesting it may have been lost during a hasty departure or overnight encampment. Krapels, who also found a Welsh Regiment cap badge nearby, is determined to personally return the cigarette case to Drew's family, completing what he views as an unfulfilled mission by Drew's wartime companions.
