BILL Oliver is doing his best to keep the memory of Buckhurst Hill's 20th century war heroes alive.

Mr Oliver, 62, of Hornbeam Close, has been researching the careers of Buckhurst Hill men who died during the First World War for seven years, and has compiled a record of almost 230 people.

He said: "I've always had an interest in military history. I first went with a friend to visit the First World War battlefields and graves in France several years ago and it really moved me. What these men and women did deserves to be remembered."

He wanted to learn more about the local people who gave their lives for the war effort, but found little information was available.

"I decided to start my own research. I took down all the names from the memorials in St Stephen's Church, Lower Queens Road, and St John's Church, High Road, and started doing research on the internet, in old local newspapers from Loughton Library and at the public records office.

"Gradually, just starting with their names, I learned about each man, where he was from, where he served, how he died and where he was buried."

He added: "I started taking photographs of the graves and the memorials put up in their honour. I now visit the French battlefields and memorials several times a year and I always try to take people who haven't been before. It's important people know what happened here. Eighty to 90 years on the shrapnel balls are still thick on the ground and there are live shells half sunk in the fields."

His wife, Florence, said: "I know I make a bit of a joke about it sometimes, all his files and bits of paper, but I've a lot of admiration for him. I admire what he's doing because I don't think the memories are kept alive enough.

"I've been to France with him and it's a very emotional experience. Seeing the graves and the lists of names. These were people's sons and daughters, brothers and fathers. It's a part of history that should never be allowed to die."

Mr Oliver was born in 1941, near King's Cross. His grandfather served in Gallipoli during the First World War and his father was stationed in Burma during the Second. After the war, his family moved to Debden and then Buckhurst Hill.

When he was growing up Mr Oliver hoped to join the Army, but he married young and the Army did not enlist married men at that time. Instead he joined the Territorial Army.

He and his wife have two sons and eight grandchildren.

Mrs Oliver said: "I think it must be contagious because even the young kids are really interested. He's taken quite a few of the grandchildren over to France, and this year even the youngest one, aged seven, has said he wants to go."

Mr Oliver said: "It's a wonderful experience. You meet so many people of all nationalities, French, German it doesn't matter. It's just people coming together to remember the guys who were killed, because underneath we know they were the same."

Mr Oliver regularly contributes to the newsletter of the Royal British Legion's Buckhurst Hill branch and is keen to hear from anyone with information, or photographs, about local men who died in the First World War.

He said: "If I ever manage to track down all the men from the First World War, I'll make a start at recording those who died in the Second World War.

"As long as we remember, we can stop history from repeating itself."