An Afghanistan war veteran has lost all his service medals after his home in Pembrokeshire burned to the ground. Dai Hilton, his two sons aged 12 and 16, and his partner Danielle Greep escaped the early-hours blaze at their chalet in Martletwy last weekend, but everything else was destroyed.
Too shocked at the time to take it all in, Hilton later realised that among the lost items were his military medals and his grandmother's engagement ring. The sentimental possessions are irreplaceable, he said.
Service and Loss
Hilton joined the army at 16 and served as a lance corporal in the Royal Signals from 2004 to 2011, including one tour in Afghanistan. He had kept his medals and other memorabilia in the 20-metre-square chalet where he had lived for 12 years.
"Everything is gone, absolutely everything, nothing is salvageable and my medals from the army, from Afghanistan, are gone," he said five days after the fire on July 25. "I have lost my Afghan NATO medal and my Afghan campaign medal and my Queen's Jubilee medal. I served down in Helmund in Camp Bastion. It was quite harrowing. I have also lost all my army kit and photos too."
Irreplaceable Items
He also lost his grandmother's engagement ring, which she had recently given to his daughter. "It's the unexpected other little things we can't replace like the children's old teddies and my nan's engagement ring," he said. "We have searched through everything and we can't find the ring or my medals."
Hilton fears the medals and ring may have melted, like his car and house keys. His home was uninsured, leaving him unable to replace expensive household items.
Community Support
Well-wishers have donated more than £9,000 to help him replace his home and possessions. Hilton praised the help from local friends and neighbours, including the owners of nearby Wild Lakes, who came on their day off with a digger to help clear up.
"It's been overwhelming the number of people who have reached out to us and helped. I can't thank people who have helped enough," he said. "We've had offers of help and loads of people in the community have been offering clothes and things."
Escape from Fire
Hilton said he is thankful that he, his sons, and Danielle escaped unhurt. His 18-year-old daughter was away at the time. Danielle woke first when the smoke alarms went off at 3am and raised the alarm. Running outside, they watched as everything they owned was destroyed. All four were taken to Withybush Hospital for smoke inhalation but were discharged.
Fire crews from Narberth, Tenby, and Milford Haven took more than two hours to control the flames on July 25. Hilton, an engineer for Openreach, said his work car keys melted and the side of his work van parked nearby was damaged, showing the extreme heat.
