THE chance discovery of a war hero's bloodstained diary has led to three strangers embarking on an emotional voyage of discovery.

In 1996, the diary, which had belonged to Corporal Claude Nuttall, was one of the star attractions in a First World War exhibition at Dudley Museum and Art Gallery.

Penned by the Australian soldier in 1918, it was found in a rubbish heap in Norton in 1965 by 12-year-old Alan Southall, who now lives in Quarry Bank.

It recounted Claude's experiences in battle, how he met Violet Palfreyman whilst recovering from gunshot wounds in Wordsley Hospital and his excitement about marrying her six weeks before he was sent back to the trenches.

Fascinated by the history contained in the pages of the pocket-sized journal, the museum's curator Colin Reid was determined to find out what had become of Claude.

"Researching the diary’s story in the succeeding years has taken me on an amazing life journey that included the Somme battlefields and Melbourne, Australia in search of Claude’s family," Colin said.

"As it turned out, Claude was shot by a sniper on August 13, while attacking a German machine gun post during the war’s final offensive, the Battle of Amiens.

"The bullet killed Claude, passing through his diary and entering his heart. He never returned home to his new wife."

Unravelling Claude's story became a real labour of love for Colin but his hard work paid off as after making contact with Violet's family, he tracked down Claude's nephew, Arthur Thomas, after placing a 'desperately seeking' advert in a Melbourne newspaper.

"As it turns out, both families still have many of Claude's personal effects, including letters home, trench art he made and even Claude and Violet’s wedding day pictures," he said.

On August 13 this year Colin, Arthur and Alan - who have now become firm friends - took an emotional trip to the soldier's graveside in Harbonnieres, northern France to mark the centenary of his death.

Colin, who left his job at the museum in 1999 and is now writing a book about Claude, said: "We paid our respects and remembered the remarkable story of his life revealed through his little diary.

"Poignantly, Alan gave Arthur a copy of the Military Medal that Claude had been awarded by George V in 1917 for rescuing fallen comrades from No-Man's Land in July 1916."

Ahead of Arthur's return to Australia, the trio met in Stourbridge on Monday (August 20) to visit Holy Trinity Church in Wordsley, where Claude and Violet wed.

Arthur said the experience was "very emotional", adding: "I keep saying that the saddest part is that my mother, her two sisters and even Claude's own mother know nothing of this, I can't tell them what's happened.

"I have seen pictures of Claude's wedding and Violet's family that they would never have seen."

Alan shared Arthur's emotion, saying he has felt like Claude was a member of his family since he found the treasured diary as a boy, adding: "I've always thought it would make a good film, it's a love story, a war story, but sadly it doesn't have a happy ending."

Colin added that once he had finished using the diary to write his book, it would sent to Arthur to be "where it belongs".