A group of Glenrothes historians are calling for readers of The Courier to help in an urgent search for the relatives of a Fife war hero.
Members of the Glenrothes Area Heritage Centre are attempting to track down the family of Thomas Blyth Peebles, who was posthumously honoured after being killed in action during World War One.
Originally from Dysart, Mr Peebles was aged 23 when he was killed on December 18 1916.
His medal for his service to the Empire was gifted to the centre last month after being found in a garden shed.
Despite the best efforts of volunteers, no direct descendants of the soldier have yet been found, with Linda Ballingall, founder of the heritage centre, keen to trace relatives approaching the centenary of Mr Peebles’ death.
“It would be wonderful if we could reunite the medal with a blood relative after 100 years,” she said.
“What has made our search difficult is that Mr Peebles died very young and while he had a son, his child also died very young.
“We’ve been trying very hard to find any direct relatives, but we also don’t know how the medal came into the hands of this lady who donated it to us.
“It is in mint condition, however, and that is what makes it extremely rare.”
The Memorial Plaque medal would have been awarded to Mr Blyth’s family following his death in battle.
Inscribed with the words “He Died for Freedom”, the medal was more commonly known as the Death Penny, with more than 1.3 million distributed to families of British Empire service personnel killed in the conflict.
Mrs Ballingall has enlisted the help of local historian Iain Nimmo White to assist in the search for living relatives of Mr Peebles, in an attempt to reunite the plaque with his family.
He has uncovered some leads, but has asked for readers of The Courier for help in tracing some of Mr Blyth’s extended family.
“We are looking for any possible son or daughter from the marriage of Robert Gordon Peebles and Marlyn Gordon in Auchtermuchty in 1972,” he said.
“A good result would uncover a great grandson or great grand-daughter of Thomas.
“Also, we would like to hear from Joan Kinnear Peebles, who we believe to be a grand-daughter of Robert Speed Peebles, born in St. Andrews in 1957.
“Thomas also had a sister, Helen Laing Simpson Peebles and we would be interested to hear from any descendant of her marriage to Thomas Robb in Kirkcaldy in 1931.”
Anybody with information can contact Mr White on 01592 741930.
