The booklet was disguised as an information guide for farmers while all the time being a World War Two explosives manual for a secret army of saboteurs.

Entitled 'A Countryman's Diary 1939', with the subtitle 'Highworth's Fertilisers Do Their Stuff Unseen Until You See Results!', it was standard issue to Britain's Home Guard Auxillary Units.

The units, whose existence is still blurred by the popularised image of the more regular 'Dad's Army' Home Guard, were made up of volunteers.

Often reserved occupation farm workers, they were primed to sabotage German troops and equipment as well as roads, bridges and railway lines, should the 'enermy' ever succeed in its much feared invasion.

As part of their design, the units had subterranean hideouts where they could retreat and lie undiscovered for weeks at a time.

Each one was equipped with roughly constructed bunk beds, blankets and canned food.

The author and historian visited courtesy of Cuckfield Museum where the original Countryman's Diary Highworth's Fertilisers manual was unearthed by volunteer steward Bob Wakefield.

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