Two Southampton WWII heroes celebrated on VE Day anniversary

Ancestry, the family history company, is honouring 80 hidden heroes of WWII nationwide, including Brian Reginald Vaughan and Mary Sible Joyce Newman from Southampton.

Each hero will be commemorated with a unique plate at Ancestry's 'Table of History' event at London's Southbank.

Brian, an ARP Messenger, was just 15 when he rescued a mother and child from a ruined house during a heavy Blitz raid in April 1941.

Public invited to uncover family ties to wartime heroes (Image: Ancestry) Mary, an 18-year-old off-duty nurse, attended to a resident after a high-explosive bomb damaged a house in November 1940.

She crawled through debris and leaking gas to comfort a trapped occupant until he could be released.

Mary was awarded the George Medal for her bravery.

Ancestry is now seeking the relatives of these heroes to present them with their commemorative plates.

Event at Southbank celebrates unsung WWII acts of heroism (Image: Ancestry) The plates feature the hero's name and a digitally enhanced image from original WWII photography.

To help in the search, Ancestry is offering free access to more than 2.5 million military records until May 11.

This initiative allows the public to explore their past and potentially discover if they are related to any of the honoured heroes.