A silver cigarette case bearing a bullet hole and once owned by World War II soldier Stan Drew has been returned to his daughter nearly 80 years after his death. The vintage item was discovered in a field in the Netherlands in April by Dutch metal detectorist Filip Krapels.

Krapels handed the cigarette case to Diane Owen, Drew’s daughter, during a ceremony held at the Royal Welsh Regimental Museum in Brecon, South Wales. The case will be exhibited at the museum as a tangible connection to her father’s service and sacrifice.

"I knew he was a brave soldier. I just wish I could have spoken to him," Owen said, expressing gratitude to Krapels for recovering the item. Krapels described the return of the case as the completion of a meaningful mission, emphasizing the importance of preserving personal wartime histories.

Official records indicate that Stan Drew, originally from Penarth, South Wales, was killed in action during the Battle of Falaise Gap in Normandy, France, on July 21, 1944. It is believed that the cigarette case was collected by a comrade during the fierce fighting and subsequently lost as Allied forces advanced into the Netherlands.

The reunion of the cigarette case with Drew’s family provides a poignant reminder of the individual experiences behind the broader events of World War II, underscoring the enduring impact of the conflict on families and communities.