STAFF at Spetchley Gardens want to uncover the stories of servicemen who stayed there during the Second World War.

Annette Phillips, estate secretary, is hoping to trace information and photographs of USAF servicemen to preserve their stories for a new exhibition.

Spetchley Revival Project will see the empty cart sheds, which is dated around 1820, transformed into the new Heritage and Interpretation Centre.

The centre will give visitors a deeper understanding about the gardens, landscape and history of the Berkley family.

Already, two stories have been revealed - John and Joan Lynch who were tenants of Spetchley Estate and the memories of USAF Serviceman Corporal Donald S. Anderson who celebrated his 90th birthday last year.

John (known as Jack) and Alice (known as Sally) Emery, tenants on the Spetchley Estate, lived at Lyngate Cottage on Spetchley Road since well before the Second World War until around 1988.

They had three children, Joan, John, and David.

Joan, a war bride, met her husband John Lynch, an American Air Corps Sergeant in USAAF, at the ‘big house’.

They married and she moved to join him in the USA in 1947.

Joan Lynch sadly died in November last year at the age of 91.

Mr Anderson has shared his story of meeting "Jane Eyre" while staying at Spetchley with several other airmen.

In his letter he remembers being a "very naive country boy from the state of Washington" who met a girl in Worcester on May 8, 1945.

"Streets were jammed with jubilant people.

"... I walked around the streets alone, and presently met a girl about my age, dressed in a uniform of a British service group.

"We were both glad to meet someone to talk to, and I introduced myself as Don and she identified herself as Jane Eyre.

"As I said, I was very naive and had never heard of Charlotte Bronte or her famous book.

"But we did have a nice visit and shook hands and said goodbye and never saw each other again.

"When I later learned that Jane Eyre dated back to 1847, I had to chuckle at the realisation that the girl had wisely withheld her real name.

"But I wish I could thank her for a wonderful story retold many times over the past 70 years."

Anyone with memories of the Second World War USAF pilots at Spetchley should contact Annette Phillips on 01905 345213 and annette.phillips@spetchleygardens.co.uk.