Family lose everything as they watch home burn to the ground

Dai Hilton served in Helmund in the Royal Signals. He lost his medals when his home in Pembrokeshire burned to the ground.

An Afghanistan war veteran is devastated after losing all his service medals when his home burned to the ground.

Dai Hilton, his two sons aged 12 and 16, and partner Danielle Greep escaped the early hours blaze at their chalet in Martletwy in Pembrokeshire last weekend, but lost everything.

Too shocked at the time to take it all in, Dai later realised that among things gone are his medals and his grandmother’s engagement ring. The sentimental possessions are irreplaceable, he said.

Dai, who joined the army aged 16 and was a lance corporal in the Royal Signals, did one tour in Afghanistan during his time in the army from 2004 until 2011.

He had kept his medals and other memorabilia from his time in the army in the 20m by 20m chalet he has lived in for the last 12 years.

“Everything is gone, absolutely everything, nothing is salvageable and my medals from the army, from Afghanistan, are gone,” he said as he sifted through the remains of his home 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.

“It’s the unexpected other little things we can’t replace like the children’s old teddies and my nan’s engagment ring which she gave recently to my daughter. We have searched through everything and we can’t find the ring or my medals.”

Dai fears the treasured medals and ring may have melted like his car and house keys. While those things are irreplaceable, Dai is also unable to replace less sentimentally valuable but expensive household items as his home was uninsured.

Well-wishers have donated more than £9,000 to help him replace his home and possessions. As the huge clear up began after last weekend’s fire, Dai praised the help he has had from local friends and neighbours, including the owners of nearby business Wild Lakes.

“They came down on their day off with their 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. It’s been a crazy week and it’s not sunk in yet.”

Dai says he is just thankful that he and his sons and Danielle escaped unhurt. His 18-year-old daughter was away at the time and escaped the fire.

Danielle was the first to wake when the chalet’s smoke alarms went off at 3am and raised the alarm.

Running outside, they watched in horror as everything they owned in the static chalet was destroyed. All four were taken to Withybush Hospital by ambulance and treated for smoke inhalation but discharged.

It took fire crews from Narberth, Tenby, and Milford Haven fire stations more than two hours to stop the flames in the early hours of Saturday, July 25.

Dai, an engineer for Openreach broadband provider, said his work car keys have been melted as well as the side of his work van, which was parked near the chalet, showing how extreme the heat was.

A friend of Dai’s set up a fundraising page to help raise money to replace his home and possessions, which can be seen here.

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