A HISTORIC sporting contest is set to go back to its roots — thanks to determined detective work.

More than 70 years ago Bury and District Table Tennis League named a competition after heroic RAF serviceman William Thomas Barlow, who died in a plane crash in World War Two.

Before the outbreak of war, Mr Barlow was a keen table tennis player in the Bury league and formed a successful doubles duo with Vernon Peatfield.

Tragedy struck in 1944 when Mr Barlow, a flight sergeant, died aged 23 while serving in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 108 Squadron, as his plane crash landed in Aberdeen.

The league paid tribute to Mr Barlow by naming the trophy after him and this year members embarked on a quest to trace his relatives or those of Mr Peatfield.

League officials wanted one of them to present the Barlow Cup to the next winner — and their research to track someone down has come up trumps.

"It took a week or more of intense detective work and we linked one of the names to the other side of the world in Australia. Now we have found someone to present the cup," said Simon King, who runs the league.

After many hours of research Mr King discovered that Mr Barlow's sister, Dorothy May married Gordon Lomax in 1957.

And by an amazing coincidence Mr Lomax was the league's chairman for 14 years until 1980.

Mr King said: "We have asked Gordon to present this trophy in April 2017 and he has accepted."

Club officials also managed to track down Mr Peatfield's wife Majorie, whom he married in 1948.

He taught her how to play table tennis and they won the league's mixed doubles contest in 1947.

Mr King said: "Vernon wanted to sign up to fight in the war but, as he had lung problems, he was not able to do so.

"When Bill was killed, Vernon was devastated.

"Vernon helped with the war effort in an administrative role and was at one time commissioned to Eritrea and also to Cairo."

He added: "Vernon and Marjorie moved to Northampton and Derby and then emigrated to Australia in 1987.

"They wanted to go somewhere warm so it would improve Vernon's lung condition and improve his quality of life.

"It worked and they had many happy years before Vernon passed away in 2005.

"Marjorie Peatfield is alive and well, aged 90 and only gave up playing table tennis herself four years ago."