A man from Bury has written a book based on a diary belonging to his German ancestor and postcards of fallen Lancashire soldiers who fought in the First World War.
Philipp Cross' great-great-grandfather, German soldier, Lieutenant Alexander Pfeifer, was aged 34 when he became part of one of his country's elite battalions in the war.
Alexander kept a detailed diary and photographs, offering an accurate account of the conflict.
He also collected postcards of fallen soldiers, many of whom were from Lancashire.
Inspired by the findings, Philipp has penned a book, The Other Trench, which also includes 350 remarkable pictures.
Philipp, 28, said: “It’s almost a portal to the past, the way he writes is almost novel-like, even though it’s a diary.”
Including perspectives from both sides of the war, one comes from Oldham-born Private Joseph Langford, who was on the other side of the battlefield to Alexander in the Battle of the Loos in France.
Joseph served in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers Regiment (6th Battalion) and died on September 25, 1915, the first day of the battle.
In the book, Philipp explores Joseph's background and also visited his grave as part of his research.
The extensive research he carried out for the book also led to finding the descendants of a fallen soldier from Blackburn, Private Percy Walsh.
Percy, who served in the 3rd Battalion of the (in reality the 1st) Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), died on December 22, 1914.
He was a weaver at Jubilee Mill and had only been married to his wife Alice for just over a year.
Philipp said: “It was genuinely a surreal moment.
"The meeting was like stepping back into both our ancestors’ lives 110 years ago, all while bringing closure to this story that commenced during that time.”
Telling the story of the diary, which has been kept between his family for years, was important for Philipp, especially with him having German and British heritage.
He said: “They all suffered the same and went through the same experience.
"They all went in with the same enthusiasm, only for that to be immediately taken away when the inevitability of war truly hit them, some died and some survived but the ones who came back didn’t come back the same.
“I think this is such an important story to tell as I feel that people from Lancashire would want to know what their ancestors truly went through and I hope this book can offer them that.
“The book is an ultimate experience of what was witnessed during this era, all while intertwining the past with the present.”
The Other Trench is available to order on Amazon and there will be an official book launch at The Fusilier Museum in Bury on Saturday, October 12.
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