WAR Veterans brought history to life for students at a Teesside school.

Pupils at Dyke House School, in Hartlepool, listened to the first-hand accounts of two men who served in the Second World War.

Veterans Percy Fielding and Don Colledge, both from Hartlepool, were invited to speak to year nine pupils this week as part of a project to promote greater understanding between the generations.

Mr Fielding, 84, recounted his experiences fighting on the beaches at Dunkirk and at the infamous battle of Arnhem, in Holland.

The pensioner was in the Parachute Regiment and took part in the battle, immortalised in the film A Bridge Too Far.

He said: "It's great to come in and speak to them, we've had a lovely response.

"A lot of young people don't know anything about the war and it's important to keep the memory of it alive."

Mr Colledge, 79, was 15 years old when the ship he was on was sunk in the Atlantic. He later took part in naval operations on D-Day.

He said: "I was just 19 at the time so it was a very exciting experience for me. I've definitely got some good stories, though some of them I could not tell these youngsters."

Year nine pupil Amy George said: "We're studying the war in history at the moment and this is definitely more interesting than learning about the war from a book."

The visit was part of the Honouring Our Heroes - Learning from the Past project being run by Housing Hartlepool.

The project is also planning a visit by veterans and young people from the town to the war graves in France later this year.

Angela Bailey, manager of the Open Learning Centre at the school, said: "It's a fantastic experience for the students. It's more than just an academic exercise, it's a chance to bridge the gap between generations."