Incredibly rare ledger has been found and it is filled with the names of 900 North East war heroes

A rare handwritten ledger containing the names of hundreds of North East heroes is back in the region after turning up at a car boot sale.

The century-old register lists about 900 volunteers who signed up to serve in the Great War over just four days in December 1915.

Most were workers from Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow, which had been devastated by a German Zeppelin raid, killing 17 workers and injuring 72.

Following its discovery at a car boot sale, the ledger was put up for sale at auction and was bought by the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Friends. The Friends then presented it to The Story which is the permanent home of the DLI Collection and Archive.

Sid Patterson, the DLI Friends trustee who attended the auction, said: “I grew up in the Salt Meadows estate in Gateshead, which is where many of

these men were from; some even lived on my street.

“It was a very close-knit community when I lived there, and the fact so many men enlisted following the attack on Palmers, despite shipyard workers being a reserved occupation,- shows it was then too.

“Reading their names and knowing so many didn’t make it home, is very moving.

“As a group, we felt the ledger should be in County Durham because it’s a local artefact. At The Story, the public will be able to see it and learn from it, rather than it being hidden away in a private collection.”

The volunteers named within the ledger signed up under the Derby Scheme, the final national recruitment campaign before conscription was introduced in 1916. Written across 23 double pages are the men’s names, ages, heights, chest measurements and distinguishing marks.

Cllr Andrew Harrison, Durham County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “Ledgers such as these are incredibly rare and certainly don’t come up for sale very often. That’s why we are so grateful to the DLI Friends for bringing it back to the North East as a valuable addition to the DLI Collection and Archive.

“What I find particularly striking about the ledger is the fact that the hundreds of men listed within its pages signed up over four days, in just one small area. It really brings home the scale of the conflict, the sacrifices made by those who served and the impact it must have had on their communities.

“By placing the ledger in The Story’s care, the Friends have ensured it will be preserved and accessible for people to view for generations to come.”

Appointments can be made to view the ledger in The Story’s collection room. To book, visit www.thestorydurham.org/access-our-collections .