AN AYRSHIRE man who asked Advertiser readers to help track down the family of a lost Alloa war hero has uncovered new information which could help with the search.

Hugh Ellis, from Kilmarnock, has spent years searching for the rightful owner of four World War One medals, which he discovered amongst his grandfather's possessions.

The medals were awarded to a Sgt Major James (or John) Fraser, with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment, who was born in Alloa on November 11, 1875.

Since his first appeal for help in the Advertiser in 2016, Hugh has identified several family members whose descendants may be alive and in Clacks today.

He said: "When I came to Alloa two and a half years ago I went to the archives and dug out some stuff that's relevant to the medals, like brothers and sisters.

"I thought Sgt Major Fraser might have descendants somewhere in Alloa like a nephew of great nephew.

"As James Fraser was unmarried his modern-day descendants must come from any of his brothers or sisters."

After painstakingly trawling through archives and census data from as far back as 1911, Hugh found the names of several of the soldier's family members.

He discovered the Sgt Major had three brothers, called William, Peter and Robert, and two sisters, called Elizabeth and Jane.

Elizabeth, known as Lizzie, married George Templeman in July 1887 and was listed as James' next of kin, receiving the official intimation of his death from wounds on July 21, 1918.

The woman then went on to have four sons, called David, James, George and Peter, and two daughters called Maggie and Jeanie.

Hugh thinks Elizabeth's six children, all of whom bore the surname Templeman which may still be around today, offer the best chance of locating a descendant of the Sgt Major.

Several of the soldier's other siblings either died early, did not have children of their own, or proved far more difficult to find records for.

Hugh said: "There could be a possibility of descendants from another of the siblings like his brother Robert, but I just don't know."

Nevertheless, Hugh says he''ll continue to try his best to track down the rightful owner of the forgotten hero's war medals.

He said: "I'm obsessed with it at times. I just want the medals to get to their rightful home.

"There might be a family there that would want them or don't know about them and would just like to get them back.

"James Fraser lost his life in defence of his country and is laid to rest in a French cemetery and has been largely forgotten back home.

"I don't want to give them to a museum or regiment until I'm sure the family can't be traced."

Anyone who might be able to help, can contact the Advertiser office on 01259 230 637 or email editorial@alloaadvertiser.co.uk