By the Royal British Legion, Pudsey & Farsley Branch
With thanks to our friends at Pudsey & District Civic Society and the Dog & Gun Wibsey Veterans Group
On Sunday 2nd November, thanks to the persistence and dedication of local veterans and volunteers, a First World War Victory Medal belonging to Private Willie Greaves of Pudsey was returned to his family—more than a century after it was awarded.
The story began when David Steinberg, a member of the Dog & Gun Wibsey Veterans Group, discovered the medal inside a box destined for destruction at a recycling centre. Somehow discarded, it was on the verge of being lost forever.
Determined to do the right thing, David shared the find with fellow veterans, including Tommy Flynn. Through their extended network—including researchers David Whithorn and Damon Sugden—an appeal was launched to trace surviving descendants of Willie Greaves.
In a remarkable twist, members of the Pudsey & District Civic Society recognised the name and realised that their own former membership secretary, Jeff Greaves, was Willie’s son.
Thanks to this connection, Tommy Flynn was able to arrange a very special presentation.
A Family Reunited
Mr. Jeffrey Greaves, now 98 years old, is a veteran himself, having served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. In a moving ceremony held at the Dog & Gun Pub in Wibsey, Jeff was presented with his father’s Victory Medal, a copy of his service record, and an honorary membership of the veterans group.
David Steinberg said: “This is Willie Greaves’ medal and I’m pleased to give it back to you. The other part of the story is—you’re Royal Navy, and I’m South African Navy.”
Jeff replied: “This medal will go to my own family. My son is quite family-orientated, so I know he will look after it. This will stay with us for a very long time.”
Tommy added: “Thank you. It’s been an absolute pleasure.”
Jeff’s reaction was deeply personal. He quietly turned the medal over in his hands, reflecting on his father’s service and the importance of remembrance.
"That’s my dads…"
He said, softly.
A Life Remembered: Private Willie Greaves
Private Willie Greaves served with the 7th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Rifles). He was wounded in 1917 and discharged in April 1918, receiving the Victory Medal, British War Medal, and Silver Wound Badge for wounds sustained in combat.
He married Emily Verity in 1920 and lived the rest of his life in Pudsey, raising three children: Harold, Jeffrey, and Brenda. Willie died in 1970 and is buried in Pudsey Cemetery. While his grave is now unmarked, its location has been rediscovered and recorded by local volunteers for future care.
Growing Up in Post-War Pudsey: Jeff Greaves
Jeff was born in 1926 in a small stone cottage at 7 Melrose Place, Smalewell. He recalled a childhood without electricity or heating, with only a single cold tap for water. Meals were cooked over a tiny fireplace, and the family used a dry midden toilet—its contents later collected and spread on Pudsey’s rhubarb fields.
The family later moved to a council house on the Waterloo estate, which Jeff described as “like moving into a palace.”
His older brother served with the 51st Highland Division, which was ordered to hold the line at St. Valéry-en-Caux to delay the German advance while other units escaped from Dunkirk. The division surrendered on 12 June 1940, and his brother spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
Jeff himself served in the Royal Navy, and both his brother and younger sister later died of cancer, aged 66. He also spoke movingly about the Great Depression, during which his father struggled with long-term unemployment due to his war injuries.
Remembering a Fallen Friend: Guardsman John Tatton Cave
Jeff also shared a tragic wartime memory: the death of his close friend, Guardsman John Tatton Cave, aged just 18.
John was killed in the Guards Chapel bombing on 18 June 1944, when a German V-1 flying bomb struck the chapel in London during a Sunday service—killing 121 people, including military personnel and civilians.
Thanks to the support of CWGC volunteers Malcolm Booth and Steve Sanderson, Jeff was able to locate John’s grave at Armley Hill Top Cemetery, where he and his family recently visited to pay their respects.
Learn more about the Guards Chapel tragedy:
https://www.householddivision.org.uk/guards-chapel-recording
A Legacy Preserved
This reunion of medal and memory is more than the return of a lost artefact. It is a celebration of service, sacrifice, and the enduring value of remembrance—the very principles that the Royal British Legion proudly upholds in its commitment to our Armed Forces community.
To learn more or get involved with your local branch, please visit:
Website:
https://www.pudseyfarsleyrbl.co.uk/
