THEY died 90 years ago fighting for King and Country and their graves lie in far corners of foreign fields where they fell in France, Egypt and Palestine.

They would not grow old - two were only teenagers when they died - and their "supreme sacrifice" was not forgotten in their home town of Poole.

Their church put up a memorial engraved with the names of Walter H Dyke, William J Gillingham, James C Hall and Edward C Elliott. But at some time the plaque to this band of First World War brothers was removed and has now turned up on Mudeford Quay where it was discovered beneath a rubbish skip.

Now Christchurch council is appealing for local people with long memories or distant relatives of the four men to unravel the mystery of who they were and why their memorial was removed and seemingly abandoned.

Checks with the National War Memorial Registry found three of the names had connections with the Branksome and Upper Parkstone areas of Poole.

Despite being close in terms of age and address the three young men all served - and died - with different regiments in different phases and theatres of the war.

Private Dyke, whose family lived in Branksome served with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was 19 when he died in December 1917 and is buried at the Nine Elms British cemetery in London.

William Gillingham, whose father lived at The Gardens, Upper Parkstone, served as a private in the 1st/6th Battalion the Essex Regiment. He was 19 when he died in October 1915 and was buried in the Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

James Hall had joined his local Dorsetshire Regiment and died fighting in France in May 1918. His grave is in the Varennes Military Cemetery.

Edward Elliott was a Rifleman with the 1st/8th Battn the Hampshire Regiment serving in Palestine - now Israel - where he died in May 1917 and was buried in Haifa.

These four men were the only ones named on a stone tablet commemorating "31 young men associated with this church who joined the colours" but inquiries to the police found no reports of any thefts of the plaque from churches in the area where the men came from.

"This is a real mystery. Why would anyone dump a plaque like this at Mudeford Sandbank?" said Chris Horn, head of street scene at Christchurch council, which is keeping the stone tablet safe at its Grange Road depot.

Mr Horn added: "It is possible that it was removed from a church that was being demolished or converted some time ago or possibly replaced by a combined plaque after the Second World War. Maybe someone found it being thrown away and decided to use it to prop up a beach hut or something similar."

Anyone who can shed any light on the mystery can contact Mr Horn on 01202 495091 or email c.horn@christchurch.gov.uk.