THE third book in a trilogy which tells the tales of war straight from retired service men has uncovered many stories hidden in history.

Author and local historian Romy Wyeth from Codford has released her new book, Through Fire Shot and Shell which takes readers on a journey from the trenches of France and Flanders, to the training camps of Salisbury Plain, onto the Normandy beaches with real life stories as told by ex-soldiers.

Mrs Wyeth said: "I have always written about the village of Codford and became very interested in the stories of the men who have retired from the military.

"If you ask the right questions you find out some fascinating history. You build up your contacts and people start to trust you with their stories. I have spoken to men who have told me stories of the war which they have never spoken about before, and for some of them it can be very distressing to talk about, but it also helps them some to terms with it."

Whilst carrying out research for the book, Mrs Wyeth uncovered some history which she didn’t realise existed.

She said: "The search for great stories often leads in unexpected directions, when some seemingly insignificant detail turns into something quite extraordinary.

"This time researching Palestine became a detective story, the tale of two remarkable men, allies in wartime and on opposite sides in the final days of the British Mandate. Simultaneously, while looking at the role of the Palestine Police Force, I inadvertently uncovered a little- known episode in the history of the Holy Land during WW2."

Through Fire Shot and Shell is now available to buy on Amazon.