STORIES of life in a First World War prisoner of War camp in Germany have been brought to life for Kevin Halford through the diary his grandfather kept.

The grandfather, Corporal John Halford, a market gardener from Bretforton, left his grandson his war medals and other memorabilia, including his regimental wallet and cap badges and papers, when he died in the late 1970s.

"I had heard that there was somewhere in the family a handwritten diary which my grandfather had kept from the day he was taken prisoner until almost the day he was released," Mr Halford, aged 44, of Henry Fowler Close, Evesham, said.

"I eventually tracked it down and found that a relative had given it to the Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre where it was on display. When I asked if I could borrow it for my research, staff very kindly agreed to let me have it."

Since then, Mr Halford has painstakingly deciphered the feint pencilled writing in the diary and transcribed it through his lap-top computer into easily readable form.

"I found out quite a bit about him that I didn't know before," Mr Halford said. "I was specially interested in what he said about living conditions in the POW camp, which bore little resemblance to what one reads in books or sees on film. Most days they seem to have just had potatoes or cabbage and drank cabbage water."

Mr Halford discovered that throughout the diary were references to little towns and villages his grandfather went through on the march from France to the camp at Dulman in West Germany.

"What I have been trying to do is get an old OS map of France to try and follow the route," he said. "The Imperial War Museum has been very helpful and has promised to supply maps where possible."

Among the items Mr Halford has from his grandfather are printed cards sent from the POW camp telling his family first of all that he was a prisoner and subsequently that he was well, but he was not allowed to write on them.

Mr Halford has been working on the research project since Christmas and is anxious to find out as much about 8 Platoon, No 10 Section, 28th Worcestershire Regiment, as he can. A book written by his Commanding Officer lists Cpl Halford's name along with Privates J White, F Filer, G Jones, W J Andrews, W Powley, J Kirkham and H M Filler.

"I would like to hear from the relatives of any of them, or anyone else who was in the Worcestershire Regiment in the First World War, particularly if they were in a POW camp," Mr Halford said.

After the war, Cpl Halford, who had a letter from the King welcoming him home, returned to market gardening in Bretforton where he was a founder-member of the Royal British Legion Club. During the Second Wold War he was a member of the Home Guard.

Mr Halford joined the Worcestershire Regiment as a musician but was forced through ill health to return to civilian life where he has started a collection of military equipment at his home.

When his research is complete, his ambition is to put it all into book form in memory of his grandfather.

Anyone able to help Mr Halford with his research can contact him on 01386 47534.