Incredible never-before-seen photos show British soldiers playing football, watching films and burying comrades in First World War POW camp
Prisoners play football and enjoy film screening in Clifford Garner's unearthed album
AN INCREDIBLE collection of photographs showing the life of a British soldier in a First World War prisoner of war camp have been discovered in an attic - 100 YEARS after they were taken.
Clifford Garner, who died in the 1970s, kept a series of snapshots of his time held by German forces.
They remained hidden from the public eye for 100 years and have now been published for the first time.
Clifford's grandson Darren Bailey, 51, discovered the photo album wrapped in an old khaki prisoners uniform in the attic of his mother's home.
Darren explained: "My mother passed away, and when we were clearing her house out we found the photos.
"They read 'souvenirs of my captivity in Germany'. It shows him playing football, they did gardening and grew their own vegetables.
"They looked like they were quite looked-after."
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Darren handed the photographs over to his friend, former territorial army officer and amateur historian John Davidson, 47, who is researching their history.
He said: "I'm hugely interested in the history of the First and Second World War, and when I saw the photos I knew they were one of a kind."
Clifford's military life currently remains a mystery.
It is not known where he signed up, or his age at the time - though John estimates he joined in 1914 at the age of 16, as by 1917 he had risen to the rank of sergeant in the 4th King's Liverpool Regiment.
It is not known when or how he was captured, though he is believed to have returned home to England in 1918 after his camp was liberated.
John said: "We know he was in Germany but we're not exactly sure where, and that's what we're trying to find out.
"I'm doing everything I can to find out more."
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