Raymond William Metzler - a World War I soldier from Young - was given an inscribed copy of the Holy Bible upon enlisting in the armed forces in July 1918.

The inscription - from Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, or Lord Roberts, of the Royal Artillery Unit in the British Army - was dated August 25, 1914.

It read: ‘I ask you to put your trust in God. He will watch over you and strengthen, you will find in this little book guidance when you are in health, comfort when you are in sickness, and strength when you are in adversity - Roberts, F’.

Metzler’s daughter Glory Newcombe Forsyth, who is now 88 years old and living in Bardwell Park, donated the bible to the museum last year.

Helen Forde from the Young Historical Society took on the laborious task of gathering some history on Metzler.

She concluded Lord Roberts must have written in all the bibles given to soldiers before he died in November 1914 at 82 years.

Helen compiled it together with a photo and information also provided from Glory.

“Glory was getting older and she wanted the bible to come back home,” she said.

“It seemed to take ages to configure it all so that it made sense.

“When Roberts was getting buried in France, you could hear the guns going off in the background.”

Metzler was born in 1899 and lived in Caple Street, Young with his father William Augustus Metzler and mother Maud Eleanor Metzler (nee Swinbourne).

He attended Young Primary School and was an apprentice printer for Wales and Hopwood at The Young Witness.

On the ship to Gallipoli, Metzler contracted and was fortunate to survive the Spanish flu, a pandemic flu that killed millions.

After the War, he returned to Young where he was re-hired at The Witness, this time as a linotype operator.

He married Mary Newcombe from Tipperary and they later moved to Sydney where they raised four children.

Metzler passed away at 55 and is buried in the Anglican section of the Young Monumental Cemetery with his father, mother and three of his children.