A Bible lost in a World War One trench in Belgium has been returned to the family of a long dead New Zealand soldier.

Richard Cook of Otago lost his bible during heavy shelling on the front line near Messines, Belgium in 1917 and later died of his wounds, TV NZ reports.

Later, it became a good luck charm for British fusilier Herbert Hodgson who found it while diving to avoid a shell burst, 3 News adds.

“Dad used to pick the bible up, take it in his hand and look at it and say ‘that’s Flanders mud on there boy’ and it was covered in mud and he used to say ‘I wonder which poor bugger lost this’,” says David Hodgson, Herbert Hodgson’s son.

The “poor bugger” was Richard Cook whose body is now buried in Etaples War Cemetery in France, where last year the bible was taken to a graveside memorial.

“It’s something special for us, it really brings Richard back to New Zealand so to speak,” says Major Mac McColl.

Mr Cook was identified by Geoffrey Hodgson, the editor of Herbert Hodgson’s war memoirs and biography.

“I was checking detail in the book, just pre-publication, and I googled the serial number which is on the top of the bible and traced it to a New Zealand soldier,” Geoffery Hodgson told 3 News.

SOURCE

Kiwi soldier’s bible home after nearly 100 years (TVNZ)

Bible lost by Kiwi soldier returned a century later (3 News)