A FIELD in northern France where a Redditch soldier saw about 80 of his comrades massacred by Nazi troops in 1940, and where many may still be buried, has been saved from desecration, writes Helen Clarke.

Albert Evans, 79, of St David's House, Batchley, lost an arm and was shot twice in the neck after he and fellow soldiers from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment were captured while fighting a rearguard action on the way to Dunkirk.

The field in Wormhoudt, near the village of Esquelbecq, had until now been kept as a shrine to the young men who were herded into a barn by SS troops and blown-up by hand grenades or ordered out and shot in cold blood.

But recently, the farmer who owned the land retired and the new owner wanted to dig it up to grow potatoes.

Now, thanks to money raised by the villagers of Esquelbecq and cash from British national newspapers, the field has been saved and a replica barn is to be built.

Mr Evans said: We were horrified when we heard the field may be dug up - so many young men fought so hard there.

Just a few survived and we're so glad to know this field will remain as a reminder of what happened.

Of the handful of men who survived, just four are alive today ; Mr Evans, Alf Tombs from Droitwich, Charles Daley and Brian Fahey.

After the massacre, Mr Evans spent three-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war during which time he was subjected to paraffin baths and was given a course of injections which left him infertile.

Mr Evans said: They made me have these injections and it meant I could never have a child with my wife. It made us so sad.

But rather than try to forget what he went through, Mr Evans spends time each year with the people of Esquelbecq to pay tribute to the men who died.

Last year, he was made a citizen of the village.

He also gave nine of his medals, including one giving him the freedom of Poland and a Dunkirk medal, to be displayed in Esquelbecq's public museum.