SIX of Sherston's First World War heroes, who until now have been forgotten, are to be commemorated on the memorial at the village church.

The parish council has launched a £5,000 appeal to alter the memorial by adding the names of six men from Sherston who died in the First World War to the 23 that have already been included on the inscriptions in the lych-gate of the village church.

The discovery of the names of the dead was made by amateur historian David Whithorn of Hampshire, who revealed the names of the men after a search of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission's website.

He was looking at the website as part of research for his book, Bringing Uncle Albert Home, published this month.

In it, he pieces together the life of a distant relative, Albert Turley, who died on the Somme in 1916. The author's quest was to prove that it is not impossible to reconstruct a soldier's story, even when they have no known grave.

The author became involved in the saga of the forgotten heroes after unearthing a picture of a man in military uniform he had picked up in an antique shop in Marlborough.

The soldier turned out to be Arthur Jobbins of Sherston, and Mr Whithorn contacted the parish council six weeks ago to see if he could find out more about the fallen war hero.

By that time, the council had already started a fundraising bid to renovate Sherston's First World War Memorial, which had fallen into a state of disrepair, by compiling a booklet to commemorate the village's war dead.

The council is also planning to inscribe the names of Sherston's Second World War dead on an additional memorial plaque.

Mr Whithorn agreed to help the parish council research the booklet and it was then that he discovered the six Sherston names.

Mr Whithorn said: "I did some research and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website are the names of six men I thought should be included."

The six men to be added to the memorial are: John Causon of the 23rd Northumberland Fusiliers, died August 1915 on Home Service; Alfred Clark of the 1st/8th Worcestershire, killed in action, November 4 1918, in Landrecies, France; Herbert Willis, 6th Wiltshire, killed in action, April 15, 1918, Ypres Salient, France; Walter Saunders, 1st/6th Gloucestershire, died October 9 1917, third battle of Ypres; George Smart, 2nd Devonshire, killed in action, November 25, 1917 Ypres Salient, France, and Gabriel Wicks, 6th Shropshire, Light Infantry, killed in action, March 31 1918, second Battle of the Somme. Parish council vice-chairman Martin Rea is also appealing for more information on Richard Dickhart, a World War Two flight engineer from South Africa who worked at Pinkney Park.

His details must be confirmed before his name can be placed on the memorial plaque.

The parish council will also be applying for a £250 grant to the Friends of War Memorials organisation.

A rededication ceremony will be held in November, providing enough cash has been raised for the renovation.