THEY say that everyone has a book in them – and a war veteran has proved just that after penning his first novel at 94.

Dr James Skelding, who lives in Culcheth, is the author of Reviving Echoes and he is already working on the follow-up.

The story follows the lives of Albert and Gillian from the Second World War to present day and is loosely based on James’ own experiences.

He started working on it when his wife Winifred died three years ago.

“I was completely shattered,” said James.

“We’d been together for 70 years. I didn’t know what to do with myself after suddenly becoming single. It was a tremendous change.

“My grandson Nick suggested I start writing. It was good therapy.”

James then started getting up at 4am to start writing around four days a week.

And, although he did not want it to dominate the book, his mind was cast back to wartime.

James added: “I read somewhere that you should write what you know and what I happened to know a lot about was 1939.”

The Ellesmere Road resident was on duty with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment when war broke out and was sent to Dunkirk.

James’ inexperienced battalion found itself outnumbered three-to-one.

“It was horrendous,” said James, who has six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

“We were only a territorial battalion and we were suddenly face-to-face with one of the best armies in the world.

“Transport was there to take us to the front and almost as soon as we started a spotter plane saw us. The next thing we knew fighters were machine gunning the convoy.

“Troops were ordered to stay in the truck but everybody dived for the ditches. Right from the very first morning we were aware it was going to be a tough one.”

James, who worked in the building trade before the war and then in technical teaching, next served in India before working in intelligence in Burma.

It was there that he was hit by shrapnel in the right hip while fighting the Japanese Imperial Guard.

James met Winifred during wartime on the dancefloor in Erdington, near Birmingham.

Moments after meeting her he said: ‘When are we going to get married?’ James added: “The dance was an ‘excuse me’ and it was a ladies’ ‘excuse me’ and she came and ‘excused’ so I more or less thought I must be in here!”

Eighteen months later they were married but it was not long before the war effort tore them apart again.

“It was terrible,” said James, who has run the London Marathon four times.

“I was on the troop ship within a couple of weeks of being married and once you were out you didn’t have contact. Letters, yes, but sometimes it was a month between sending and receiving.”

James’ daughter Judith added: “The things he says about the war are so personal and a first-hand account is invaluable.”

* Reviving Echoes is available to buy from Amazon