THEY were created 70 years ago as a way of entertaining fellow prisoners of war who were desperate to return home to their families.

Now newspapers written by captured German soldiers detained in the New Forest during and after the Second World War are being translated for the first time.

The unique documents provide a fascinating insight into what life was like at the former Setley PoW camp near Brockenhurst.

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They include songs, puzzles and football match reports, plus advice on how the soldiers could improve their English.

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The newspapers were published between 1945 and 1948 and collected by the prisoners’ leader Max Mueller, who later settled in the Forest.

They are now being translated as part of the New Forest Remembers World War II initiative devised by the National Park Authority (NPA).

NPA staff have teamed up with the MicroPasts project run by University College London and the British Museum to help preserve the historic collection for future generations.

Mr Mueller’s son Mike, who runs the Meerut bed and breakfast establishment in Brockenhurst, said: “The newspapers have been in our family for years.

“We know some German, so we have a sense of what the articles say.

“My father didn’t really talk much about his time at the camp so it would be nice to fully understand what the men were thinking.”

It comes two years after a scrapbook compiled by the prisoners and presented to Max Mueller was made public.

Gareth Owen, the project officer, added: “The Mueller family’s unique collection of carvings, photo albums and newspapers from the Setley PoW camp are a vital link to our past.

“We haven’t yet been able to translate them all, and we’re very excited about the collaboration with MicroPasts.

“We hope it will reveal new insights into what life was like as a prisoner of war in the New Forest, and what was important to them as they prepared to return home to Germany.”

The football match reports relate to games played between various PoW camps and hostels in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Adi Keinan-Schoonbaert of MicroPasts praised the project.

He said: “With only limited funds and time, heritage professionals consistently struggle to protect and interpret the UK’s vast array of archaeological and historical finds.

“But There are huge pools of amateur groups and volunteers who are not only passionate, but also skilled and knowledgeable.

"MicroPasts brings them together so that they can contribute to real archaeological, historical and musem-related projects.”