Four true heroes awarded Britain's highest honour have been further immortalised in an online exhibition commemorating the end of the Second World War.

Derek Seagrim, Richard Annand, James Jackman and Adam Wakenshaw were each decorated with the Victoria Cross for their astounding bravery while serving with regiments from the region.

And they are all featured, along with their citations, on a new section of the National Archives website, the Art of War.

The site includes rarely-seen artists' renderings of the acts which led to the award of their VCs, originally prepared for a propaganda pamphlet produced by the old Ministry of Information in 1943.

The North-East four are among 41 VC winners featured, complete with their London Gazette announcements and corroborating statements. Another ten people are included who won the George Cross, the honour regarded as the equivalent of the VC which is given for acts which are not conducted in the face of the enemy The painstakingly-created site contains some 250 pieces of original Second World, War propaganda art which has never before been seen on display.

Much of the material has been gathering dust for decades and has never been seen since it was originally filed away. "It is a very rich source of artwork with some truly fabulous and iconic images," said the National Archives development co-ordinator Jason Hargreaves.

"There is lots of colour and humour and also a section of propaganda films which in the modern day context are very humorous."

He added: "There are works of art by several famous artists including Giles, of Daily Express cartoon fame, Lesley Ashwell-Wood, who went on to become the illustrator for the Eagle comic, Fougasse, and Terence Cuneo, famous for his military and railway paintings and the official artist of the Queens coronation.

"These pieces of art have never been on the web before and have lain almost undiscovered in the repository drawers at Kew."

All the material is free to access and can be found at the website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar.