"SOME years ago, my late father, Tom Marbeck, bought at a car boot sale a 'family' type bible," writes Mrs Joan Mather, of Tynesbank, Worsley.

"It has leather covers and brass corners, and my family decided to restore it for my mother's 91st birthday on October 10.

"The restorer found a sheet inside, beautifully written in copperplate. As a family we would be interested if any of your readers can throw any light on the list of names and their purpose.

"The bible is published according to the Presbyterian faith and most likely came from either a closing or demolished church, possibly in the Blackburn Road/Halliwell area of Bolton."

When I first saw the list I thought that, under the circumstances, it must have been from the 1800s, saying when the men named were killed in action, but then I saw that some of the men had served in the RAF, so it must have been the 1900s, and presumably it must list their natural deaths.

"We are wondering which organisation, if any, they belonged to," says Mrs Mather, "and why the list was made."

It is headed "Passed to Higher Fellowship", and the names, where they served, and presumably their dates of death, are: "Norman Whitaker, RASC, 1.2.62; Thomas Gallagher, 13/18 Hussars, 13.6.64; F. Gladhill, RTR, 27.5.71; W.H. Walker, East Lancs, 29.6.71; Norman Watkinson, RASC, 19.3.76; George Ellis, RAF, 10.12.77; Victor Foster, RA, 13.8.80; Jack Whitley, Yorks/Lancs, 11.5.81; G.H. Squires, Coldstream Guards, 30.5.81; Maurice Vanston, RAC, 4.6.82; Thomas McBeath, RA, 18.12.82; Maurice Gaynor, RAMC, 4.12.83; Kenneth Drake, RA, 7.4.84; Charles Ellis, RA, 3.7.84; Douglas Sheard, RAF, 30.9.85; Walter Tanner, RASC, 26.1.86; Thomas Heslop, RC Signals, 25.2.86; Alan Atkinson, Gordon Highlanders, 29.7.86; Stanley Firth, RAOC; 2.12.86; Cyril Close, Royal Signals, 12.4.87; W.R. Silson, East Yorks, 30.8.87; N.D. Woodhead, RAF, 21.9.87; Kennerly Gardener, RAF, 12.3.88; Ronald Denton, RAMC, ?.12.88; Arthur Haensler, RAC, ?.1.89; Sydney E, Close, RAF, ?.1.89.