LITTLE Jamie Owen Hilton is a hero to his family at just 10 days old - and he has the medals to prove it.

The tiny tot, born to mum Amy at the Princess Anne Maternity Unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital, is the first boy in his maternal family for 100 years - and the proud owner of First World War medals belonging to his great, great, great-grandfather Arthur Fennell.

Mr Fennell was born in 1875 in Little Hulton and during the 1914-18 war was a corporal in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He was awarded the Military Medal for bravery during the battle of Ypres when he was one of only 43 survivors out of a company of 100 remaining at his post while others died around him.

He married Alice in 1904 and they had three daughters, Doris, born in 1905, Lena and Nora, none of whom went on to have sons.

Doris had one daughter, Glenda, born in 1942, and she had a daughter Debbie in 1963.

Debbie, now Mrs Hampson, had four daughters - Rachael, now 20, Anna, aged 18, and twins Sarah and Amy, aged 17, who all live at the family home in Crescent Road, Kearsley.

Young Jamie arrived on January 8 weighing 7lb 8oz after a lengthy labour and to great celebrations by the family.

"We let off fireworks when he was born and when he came home", said Mrs Hampson. "I always wondered if we would ever have a boy in the family", she added. "It was all girlie things when my daughters were growing up although, because I was a junior coach at Bolton Wanderers, at least they all learned to play football!"

For great-grandmother Mrs Lowe, who lives nearby in Bolton Road, the arrival of little Jamie (his second name is after his great-grandfather Mr Owen Lowe) is particularly poignant.

"As a child, grandad would tell me about life in the trenches and I always used to polish his medals," she explained. "He used to say maybe one day you'll have a son to pass these on to'. But I never thought I'd have to wait until I had a great-grandson for this to happen."

The little boy is a great favourite with all the females in the house, and already his grandma is noticing a difference in the baby. "He's a lot quieter than the girls," she said. "But then, perhaps he just can't get a word in edge-ways!"

The Military Medal was established in wartime Britain by King George V on March 25,1916, a year and a half after Britain declared war against Germany. Its inception was intended to meet the enormous demand for medals during the First World War.

The medal was initially awarded to NCOs and men of the Army (including the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Division) for individual or associated acts of bravery which were insufficient to merit an award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal (or DCM). Recipients of the silver medal, which features the head of the monarch on the front, were allowed to list the letters 'MM' after their name. As many as 115,600 were awarded during the First World War. A further 15,000 Military Medals were awarded during the Second World War.