DURING the dark days of the Second World War they diffused more than 45,000 unexploded bombs and almost 7,000 anti-aircraft shells.

From 1943 onwards, Britain's bomb disposal teams also dealt with 300,000 beach mines that had been laid in the UK as an anti-invasion measure.

In a testament to their bravery, ordnance experts serving with the Royal Engineers were awarded 13 George Crosses, 115 George Medals and 14 MBEs.

However, their achievements came at a huge cost. Nearly 500 soldiers were killed in explosions and a further 209 were injured.

Their memory is kept alive by the 25th Co Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal (Re-enactment) Group - one of the organisations that took part in a major event in the New Forest over the weekend.

The Way We Were was a Daily Echo-backed celebration of the courage and resourcefulness shown by servicemen and civilians caught up in the biggest military conflict in history.

Organisers of the two-day event turned the clock back more than 60 years.

Visitors to Exbury Gardens and Lepe Country Park found themselves surrounded by cars and armoured vehicles from the war, plus scores of people dressed in period costume.

One of the stalls featured examples of the food available at the time and the problems caused by rationing, introduced only months after the war began.

Actor Oliver Tobias opened the event, which also featured a concert by Salisbury-based singer Rosemary Squires - dubbed Britain's First Lady of Song.