A history enthusiast has asked over 100 WW2 veterans to sign his 1939 rifle after being inspired by meeting an ex-serviceman from Buckinghamshire.

Jay Hawkins, 27, from St Ives in Cambridgeshire, met the unnamed veteran at a meet-and-greet event in Wendover four years ago and got his Lee-Enfield rifle signed for the first time, sparking an idea to preserve the stories of Second World War fighters.

In the years since that meeting, Jay has travelled up and down the UK, covering nearly 30,000 miles, and has interviewed each wartime hero he meets as part of what he has dubbed the 'Lee Enfield project'.

The 27-year-old, who has always had a love for history, has been to Northumberland, Aberdeen and the Isle of Wight on his quest to speak to as many veterans as possible.

The self-employed painter and decorator said: "After the gun was signed, I got a bit of a buzz from it and I said to myself I'd try at all costs to meet as many veterans as I can.

"There are some British veterans whose story has never been told – they might not have carers or family relatives to tell their story to. If you don't hear it from them, you won't ever hear it."

Jay reaches out to the veterans through their care homes, families or organisations that can put them in contact.

He travels to see them, hears their stories and asks if they want to sign his repeating rifle, which was the standard service rifle of the British Armed Forces until 1957.

Over the last four years, 131 war heroes have signed the gun, which Jay bought online before launching the project.

He said: "A lot of them are shocked and don't understand what it is until I get the rifle out of the case.

"Some of them are overjoyed as they haven't held it for 80 years – most of them did basic training with it.

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"They're excited and thrilled. It is a proud thing that their name will be going into a museum.

"Far more have signed than I ever (would have) thought. If I'd met five, I would have been happy."

Jay said many of the veterans he meets are "shocked that the younger generation is still interested" and that his aim is to "spread the importance of these heroes before it's too late".

Adding: "It's not a numbers game. It's more about telling the veterans' story for the first time and spreading awareness of it.

"I travelled to Northumberland which took about ten hours and I was only there for 45 minutes. 

"But it was the first time (the veteran) had held a rifle in 82 years. For 45 minutes or two hours, they have someone to talk to."

Ruth Bourne, who was one of the secret team of women decrypting the German code system at Bletchley Park also signed the rifle.

The 27-year-old received a letter from Buckingham Palace at the beginning of the year congratulating him on the project.

He also flew in a Spitfire over the cliffs of Dover for his 25th birthday and is currently trying to restore a WW2 Jeep.

Jay is in touch with a museum to loan the rifle for display but ultimately hopes it can travel across the UK to share the veterans' stories with as many people as possible.

He added: "I said to myself, I won't stop until there's no more room on the rifle or no veterans left to meet."