THE story of sporting soldiers and their tour of the world, including a spell as wardens of an infamous Asian prison, has been told in a new book.
For Your Tomorrow: A History Of The 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) is told predominantly from accounts of the men who served in the battalion between 1919 and its disbandment in 1955.
The book has been written by retired teacher Harry Moses and is a follow-up to John Sheen's Durham Steel, which covered the 2nd Battalion's involvement in the First World War.
Mr Moses, who lives in Newton Aycliffe, said: "I have been fascinated with military history since I was a nipper, especially the DLI as they are all local lads."
The 2nd Battalion started in 1839 as the 2nd Regiment of the European Light Infantry, formed by the East India Company, before joining the DLI in 1881.
In 1919, they were posted to Georgia in South Russia before spending 17 years in India between 1920 and 1937.
During the Second World War, they helped with the Dunkirk evacuation and Captain Richard Annand, who is pictured on the front cover of the book, was the first Army man to receive the Victoria Cross in 1940 after heroic actions defending the River Dyle in Belgium.
He made several runs through enemy fire to hurl hand grenades at the Germans, and returned to a fierce battle scene to recover his servant before carrying him through woods to escape.
At the end of the war, the battalion went to Singapore, where they spent nine days in charge of the infamous Changi Jail, before going to Burma.
The battalion was disbanded in 1955, but their last triumph was to win the British Army football cup.
The book is published by the Memoir Club, based in Langley Park, near Durham City, and costs £14.95 from 0191-373-5660 or thememoirclub. co. uk.
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