An appeal has been issued to help track down the descendants of an Ayrshire man whose belongings were found on a shore thousands of miles away in Canada.
Keen metal detectorist Randy Gerylo discovered the underground stash during a recent sweep on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, in the Canadian province of Manitoba.
Among the items he uncovered were an ID bracelet which says ‘Granville W. Graham, 6 Alloway Place, Ayr. ’
Other items found nearby include cutlery, coins dating back to 1917 and 1960, some rings and what appears to be a toy pick-up truck.
The find has left Randy, 61, who has been metal detecting for some 35 years, baffled.
Now he hopes that the good people of Ayrshire can help him solve his Lake Winnipeg mystery and try to reunite Granville’s items with his family, or descendants.
He said: “I have been doing the metal detecting hobby since around 1987 and it would be nice to solve this and possibly get this item to a relative.
“I had just recently found an item lost long ago belonging to someone from Ayrshire.
“The person’s name on the item is Granville W. Graham and he used to live at 6 Alloway Place. He might have passed on by now, but there might be relatives that would like the item.
“The bracelet was found about 40 feet from shore. All items were all found in an area of about 75 feet x 20 feet.
“The dates on the coins are all over the place, from 1917 to the 1960s, but I think the bracelet was lost in the 1950s or 1960s.
“The bracelet was found along the shores of Lake Winnipeg, by Gimli Manitoba. There used to be a big RAF training base there, so maybe he (Granville) was stationed there for training.”
Ayrshire Live has learned that a friend of Randy’s discovered that a Granville Jack Graham flew with the RAF back in the day, but the middle name doesn’t tally with the ‘W’ etched on the bracelet.
Randy is now appealing for any local historical societies, or any genealogists out there, who can help him put the pieces of the puzzle together and solve the mystery once and for all.
He added: “I guess long ago Granville must have spent time here in Canada but it would be great if someone in Ayrshire could help me find out who Granville W. Graham was for sure. Any help would be appreciated.”
Could you help solve the mystery? E-mail news@ayrshirepost.co.uk
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