WHEN learning support assistant Jane Wilton rolled up her sleeves to tidy the office at Marchwood Junior School the most she was expecting to find was some outdated books and a collection of random stationery.

Instead it proved to be a spring clean that uncovered a chapter in history.

Hidden in a corner of a cabinet was a dust-covered photograph album containing pictures documenting the Second World War.

Mrs Wilton was amazed to find the collection of old photographs that included pictures of Winston Churchill, his wife and daughter visiting HMS King George V, a 44,460-ton battleship launched in 1939.

King George VI, the future Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret also appear in the album.

Some of the other photographs show Arctic convoys - fleets of merchant ships and Royal Navy escort vessels that ran the gauntlet of German U-boats as they delivered war materials to Russia.

Mystery surrounds how the album came to be at the school and now staff are hoping to locate the person who compiled the album and so learn more about the photographs it contains.

The only clue to the owner's identity is an inscription that reads: "From Joy. Best of Luck. 1942."

Mrs Wilton said: "The album was covered in dust and appeared to have been there a long time.

"If it was donated to the school it would be nice to know who it came from - and if it wasn't, it would be good to return it to its rightful owner.

"At the moment the whole thing is a bit of a puzzle.

"Our headmaster, Steve Bassett, has been here at least seven years but even he didn't know it was there or where it came from."

Staff believe the album may have been compiled by someone connected with HMS King George V, the battleship that appears in many of the pictures.

As flagship of the Home Fleet, she helped protect the Arctic convoys and also led a successful attack on the German battleship Bismarck.

Do you know who compiled the picture album or who the two sailors might be. Contact Chris Yandell at the Daily Echo by e-mailing chris.yandell@ soton-echo.co.uk or newsdesk@soton-echo.co.uk or by writing to the Daily Echo at Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, Southampton SO16 9JX