Kiwi's long-lost First World War dog tag found in France

A French farmer has accidentally uncovered the story of a forgotten New Zealand soldier who fought in the First World War.

It began when he discovered a dog tag hidden in his paddock, carrying the name 'J Beattie'.

The tag belonged to a Kiwi, but his descendants had no idea he'd been to war.

It has now been returned to his relatives in New Zealand after a century hidden in the ground, and has revived the long-forgotten story of its brave owner, Gunner James Beattie.

The discovery sparked a search for Mr Beattie's family, who were tracked down in Christchurch.

Family member Perry Trevella says it was a big surprise, "and it was just amazing to find out". They had no idea Mr Beattie had even been to war.

Mr Beattie served in the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps on the Western Front. His dog tag is thought to have been lost in France in 1918.

"There's obviously a lot on the battle fields of Europe - metal, shrapnel - so I think for a farmer to find this, it's quite significant," Lieutenant Colonel Kendall Langston says.

Mr Beattie survived the fighting, getting through tragedies at the Somme and Passchendaele.

Newshub.