Suitcase mystery solved as vintage luggage reunited with Doncaster family

Doncaster woman Claire Wildsmith launched a bid to trace the history of the case believed to be more than 70 years old after snapping it up for just £12.

The battered case was printed with the name C Womack and the address of 14 Lennox Road, Intake.

And after a Facebook appeal, Mr Womack’s granddaughter has come forward – and Mrs Wildsmith has agreed to pass on the case to his family.

The case – which belonged to a Cyril Womack who lived at Lennox Road with wife Mavis - also features details of the journey it made – from Hong Kong to the UK – and the ship it was carried on, the Empire Orwell.

The Empire Orwell was a British troop ship between 1949 and 1959, being captured from the Nazis after World War Two.

She had capacity for 1,491 troops and departed on her maiden voyage as a troopship on 17 January 1950 bound for Tobruk, Libya and Port Said, Egypt.

She also served as a troopship in the 1956 Suez Crisis, landing troops in Cyprus and evacuating troops.

In April 1958, Empire Orwell was damaged during storms in the Atlantic Ocean and the ship was sold and renamed.

Mrs Wildsmith said partner Sheridan bought the case on Facebook and added: "We bought it with the intention of making it into a quirky coffee table. We loved that it had a Doncaster address and connections but then just felt the need to know more.”