Lost prayer book returned from Norway

The prayer book was found in a field in Norway

A prayer book lost by a soldier during World War II has been returned to his family after almost 60 years.

Walter Todd, a soldier who fought with the Lincolnshire 4th Regiment in Norway during World War Two, dropped the book on the battlefield before being taken prisoner in 1940.

It was found by a Norwegian man who tracked down his family and returned the book to his daughter, Shirley Harness.

Mr Todd died 10 years ago.

Skin and bone

"It really choked me up to see after all these years," Mrs Harness said.

"I am sure my son or daughter will keep the book and pass it down the generations," she said, adding that the prayer book was "in good nick".

Mr Todd, from Horncastle, became a prisoner of war for five years and finally reached home after walking 400 miles.

"My mother said he was "like skin and bone" when he returned home," Mrs Harness said.

Church person

John Benson, who lives in Burton near Lincoln, wrote a book about the regiment and the family that found his prayer book saw his website.

"I had an email from Norway from the family who had found the book, and they wanted to know if Mr Todd was still alive," Mr Benson said.

Mr Benson has written a book about the 4th Regiment called Saturday Night Soldiers.

Mrs Harness said she presumed her father used the book regularly as he was "quite a church person".