A DOCUMENT has been unearthed recording the wartime gift of a hospital bed from the grateful people of the North-East to the Soviet defenders of Stalingrad.

The certificate, discovered by archivists at Durham County Record Office, was issued by the Joint Committee for Soviet Aid to record the gift by Durham Rural District Council of one bed to Stalingrad City Clinical Hospital.

Although the certificate, signed by the Soviet Ambassador, was issued in May 1946, the hospital bed was actually handed over in December 1943 to mark what is described as ‘the gallant defence of Stalingrad’.

Record Office staff have chosen it as their submission to International Archives Day on Tuesday (June 9), an annual event aims to raise awareness of the importance of archives and the need to preserve and maintain public records and documents.

As part of the event, archive services around the world are invited to submit a document from their collection to be added to a special website.

Liz Bregazzi, county archivist, said: “The certificate is extremely unusual.

“It’s very visually striking and, although I’m sure a lot must have been issued, I haven’t seen anything else like it before. It’s a great example of how fascinating and varied our archives are”.

The documents held by the record office stretch for more than four miles and span almost 900 years, with the earliest records dating back to 1122.

The collection includes education, business, ecclesiastical, estate and family records as well as coal mining records and maps and the records of the Durham Light Infantry.

The Record Office, based at County Hall, in Durham, is open to the public on Monday and Tuesday from 8.45am to 4.45pm and on Wednesday from 8.45am to 8pm.

Time slots should be booked in advance by calling 03000 267 619 or by visiting www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk