A PEDMORE historian is appealing for help to solve a war-themed mystery that has left him baffled for years.

World War Two veteran Ray Griffiths from Drew Crescent spent years researching the identities of all 60 servicemen from Lye and Wollescote who were killed in action between 1939 and 1945.

Together with friends Brian Poole and Harry Rowlands, 85-year-old Mr Griffiths managed to identify 49 men who are commemorated on a stained glass window at Christchurch in Lye High Street plus a further 11 not included in the memorial.

And all but one are now honoured in a commemorative book produced by the trio which sits in the memorial chapel.

The identity of one fallen soldier, D Hart - whose name is included on the window, has remained elusive and continues to puzzle Mr Griffiths - who served with the 1st Battalion Herefordshire Regiment during the war.

However a recent newspaper article has now given him fresh hope that he may finally solve the mystery.

The feature, he said, centres on a Halesowen man named Alfred Hart who was born in Talbot Street, Lye, in 1927.

Mr Griffiths' interest was sparked as Mr Hart is reported to have said he had four older brothers and four older sisters.

Having discounted a number of people named Hart as being possible relatives of D Hart, Mr Griffiths now wonders if the forgotten soldier named on the memorial window could have been related to Alfred Hart.

He explained: "This guy was just too young but his older brothers would have been old enough to go to war at that time."

"If this lead helps me to find the missing piece of the puzzle it would mean the end of about 12 years of research. We seem to have been working on this for a lifetime."

Alfred Hart, or anyone who knows him, or anyone who thinks they may have have information about the fallen soldier known only as D Hart, can contact Mr Griffiths on 01384 392647 or email him at rwgriffiths@blueyonder.co.uk