We spent years tracking down WW2 hero to return heirloom my grandad kept for safe keeping – what we discovered amazed us

The Sun

25-05-2025

AFTER years of safeguarding a watch given to her grandfather in the Second World War, two sisters have finally tracked down its owners.
Amateur sleuths Debbie Blaxhall and Tracey Stevenson's quest to find the heirloom's owners took them on a journey from the 1940s to a lavish lunch celebrating the 80th anniversary of VE Day earlier this month.
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Speaking to The Sun, she revealed how Ancestry.com enabled her to do the 'right thing' for her grandparents.
The story began back in World War Two, when Debbie's grandfather, Richard Houseman, first met another soldier named Arnold Sharrocks.
Stationed near Middlesborough, the pair quickly became friends but were sadly separated when Arnold was posted elsewhere.
As a parting gift to Richard and his wife Naomi, Arnold left his pocketwatch for safekeeping along with a note which read: 'Best wishes, Arnold.'
Neither one ever saw the other again.
For years, that was all Debbie, now 59, knew about the mysterious watch, which had become legendary in her family.
However, Debbie and her sister Tracey, 62, knew that, one day, they would have to help the watch find its way home.
Debbie said: 'We were only looking after it for someone else. We could never dispose of it because we wanted to carry on that legacy.'
The former nurse has always had an interest in her family history, but finally decided to send the watch home when Tracey found it in her late husband's belongings.
They decided to reach out to Ancestry's military genealogist Simon Pierce for help.
At first they hit a dead end, but then, a medal card - found by Simon - allowed Debbie to uncover that Arnold had married a lady called Joyce Finch.
From there, she managed to find Janet Hunt, 64, Arnold's daughter, who also had an account on Ancestry.com.
Debbie said she nervously deliberated for days about phoning Janet, but eventually 'bit the bullet'.
When the line connected, though, she realised that Janet had no idea about the watch.
She said: 'The poor woman; I honestly don't know what she thought, because I knew the story.
'She didn't have a clue, so I was trying to explain who I was and that I had her father's watch."
Debbie added: 'I think it took a few days for it to sink in with her, but we were finally able to send her father's watch in February.'
Welling up as Tracey finally let go of the watch which had meant so much to them, Debbie had one overriding feeling.
Through tears, she said: 'It's going home.'
Ancestry.com decided to organise a meeting between Debbie and Janet at a fabulous VE Day party in London, in May 2025, but there was one final twist in the story.
Debbie said: 'Janet and I thought we were actually going to meet at lunch, but we actually met at breakfast in the hotel where we were both staying.'
She added: 'Her daughter said: 'I think this is them.'
'And I was saying the same to my husband, and eventually I just said: 'Yeah, it's us.'
'So we hugged and I just cried. But it's the fact that her daughter is called Naomi, the same name as my grandmother.'
In another surprise, Debbie and Janet realised that they only lived 22 miles away from each other in Sussex.
Arnold, and 79 other 'hidden heroes', were honoured with a commemorative plate at the lunch later that day.
Debbie said: 'Each plate had a little plaque about the story that was represented. And they were all incredible.
'You just think these were all just normal people going about their lives, daily lives or doing their bit for the war. They were the hidden heroes.
And it didn't just cover people in the armed forces. There were scouts, there were children who had done great things.
'There were a lot of women represented too, which was really lovely.'
Janet revealed that Arnold had served with the 103rd Light Anti-Aircraft regiment - earning the France and German star for his heroic efforts.
Stationed at first in the UK and, then, later in Europe, he also served in the Corps of Military Police.
For Debbie, the journey has brought her grandparents 'back to life for a little while' as well as Arnold - who survived the war but sadly died when Debbie was nine.
She doesn't know why he never came back for the watch, with the entire endeavour having 'raised more questions" for her "than it answered'.
Now in regular contact with Janet, Debbie is considering a career in "genealogy" to find out more about her family tree.
Still, she is thrilled to say that handing the watch back to its owners has changed her life.
Debbie said: "We adored our grandparents and just being able to complete something that they'd set out to do, it means the absolute world to us."
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