THE scenes of jubilation that saw Hereford greet the end of the First World War are chronicled in the previously unseen diary of a soldier with strong city links.

The diaries of Captain Robert Hamilton, who took over the Hereford Military Detention Barracks in 1915 and was commandant there until 1919, reveal the joy that enveloped the city.

His grandson, Andrew Hamilton, has included extracts from his diaries in Meet at Dawn Unarmed, his new book co-written with Alan Reed.

On being the first person in Hereford to receive the news that the Germans had surrendered, Capt Hamilton told the city’s most important bodies – including the Hereford Times.

He wrote: “The official news was sent to me by phone direct from the War Office. I acquainted the police, the mayor and the Times office.

“The town went mad. Where all the flags came from, I don’t know. On my way to tell the Dean, I was mobbed by soldiers, munitions girls and Hereford schoolboys.”

Reports from the Hereford Times are included, along with details about Capt Hamilton’s disagreement over the treatment of conscientious objectors with the Bishop of Hereford and his control of the nearby Royal Ordinance factory, which produced shells.

The book, produced by Dene House Publishing, also includes details about how Capt Hamilton became a key figure in the Christmas truces on the battlefields of the Western Front in 1914.

He left his trench and met his German equivalent half-way between their positions in no-man’s land. The 48-hour armistice they negotiated was, according to Capt Hamilton, the inspiration for truces up and down the trenches.

The book is available at meetatdawn unarmed.co.uk and costs £16.99.