Palace PoW letter returned to his family after radio appeal

A letter from Buckingham Palace to a former Japanese PoW has been returned to his family after it was found in his ex-girlfriend's belongings.

Dawn Baxter from Nottingham found the letter addressed to Private Robert Read in her late mother's possessions.

The letter and certificate from King George VI thanks him for his war efforts and acknowledged the harsh conditions faced by PoWs.

Ms Baxter said former Pte Read and her mother had met when she was 14.

He had worked as a miner at the Wollaton Colliery in Nottingham and joined the Manchester Regiment, aged 18.

"After my mum passed away I was just going through her belongings and I found the certificate," said Ms Baxter.

"I think mum really liked a man in uniform and in her diary she talks about how they met.

"She did talk about him a lot and about the war."

Ms Baxter enlisted the help of BBC Radio Nottingham to find the soldier's family and reunite them with the certificate which welcomed back prisoners who had survived the camps.

Dolores Read, said after hearing about him in the diary entries she knew right away it was her father-in-law.

She said: "It's marvellous to get the certificate. He was a quiet man and didn't talk about the war very much but we are very proud of him.

"I don't know why he didn't give the certificate to his children but we are hoping to give it to a museum. I don't want this brave man to be forgotten."