Military archive documents recording the service of two Evercreech soldiers in World War I were recently brought back to the village.

They included the Croix de Guerre citation awarded to Sergeant Major Henry (Harry) Chinnock, whose family farmed in Evercreech, and four battlefield diaries written up by Sergeant Harold Barber, who lived at Lime Cottage, in Prestleigh Road.

The records first came to the notice of Evercreech Royal British Legion chairman Richard Evans in a letter from Mrs Diana Jarvis of Winterslow, Salisbury, who has proud connections with both veterans.

Her aunt married Harry Chinnock and her grandfather, William Barber, built the house at the old lime works from where Harold Barber went off to war.

Harry Chinook's investiture was in recognition of an heroic action in the trenches with the 24th battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry (Territorial Forces Evercreech).

A planned advance was held up when they were pinned down in the trenches under incessant fire from a German gun position which he knocked out under cover of darkness before the Battalion could start the attack.

"I wondered if Evercreech ever knew about the award," said Mrs Jarvis.

And, while it may have been reported at the time, she wanted to make sure it was recorded for future generations.

The existence of the graphic diaries of Harold Barber, who was a Sergeant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, had only previously been seen by the immediate family.

Mrs Jarvis and her husband Norman and their family, stopped for lunch at the Bell on Sunday when they were welcomed by Richard Evans and Jane Burgess, the Chairman of Evercreech Local History Society.

Mr Evans said he and Mrs Burgess were very grateful to Mrs Jarvis for giving them the chance to view such interesting documents.