A NEW book tells the story of the Foresters who fought to keep South Korea free and endured years in a brutal prisoner of war camp.

Author Lynne Lambert centred the book, Nobber’s Boy, around the experiences of her uncle, David Gardiner and others such as his friend Roy Mills of Cinderford.

They were among soldiers of the Gloucestershire Regiment who fought at the Battle of Imjin in April 1951.

Their steadfastness in the face of a much larger Chinese force is credited with blunting the Communist advance on the South Korean capital, Seoul.

The book was officially launched recently at the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum in Gloucester.

Among the guests at the launch were Mr Mills and fellow Korean War veteran Joe Collett of Cheltenham.

Along with the author they signed copies of the book which is subtitled A Soldier’s Story of War and Captivity in Korea.

The cover features a picture of Mr Gardiner inside the "back badge" which features on the Glosters’ cap.

The title is a reference to Mr Gardiner’s father.

At the launch, Amanda Deeks read two passages from the book, one of which was a moving re-telling of how the young Foresters faced their first Christmas in captivity, toasting their families back home with bowls of sorghum, a type of cereal.

The book provides new insights into the battle - which has been described as the bloodiest engagement endured by the British Army at the time since the end of the Second World War.

It also tells of the 300-mile forced march to a prisoner of war camp and the prolonged efforts of the Chinese to indoctrinate the young British soldiers.

The book is available from www.nobbersboy.com