A book signed and dedicated by Prime Minister Winston Churchill on one of the darkest days of the Second World War has turned up in a crate of secondhand texts at Bookbarn International.

Staff at the Hallatrow-based Bookbarn were astonished to find the copy of The World Crisis had been signed by its author, Winston Churchill.

The book contained a typed note from his Personal Private Secretary, thanking Wolverhampton Doctor, Sidney Dyke, for his services attending Churchill’s daughter, Mary.

Bookbarn Co-owner, William Pryor, said: “We get hundreds of crates of books from all over the country every week – and our staff are trained to look out for rare and unusual titles – but this one, signed by Winston Churchill, on one of the darkest days of the Second World War, is the most historically significant find yet.”

He added: “The note we found inside is dated May 26th 1942 – the opening day of the Battle of Gazala in the Western Desert, and the day the Anglo-Soviet Treaty was signed in London.

“Churchill was under immense pressure in those days – Rommel was about to achieve his crowning success routing the Eighth Army and eventually forcing the surrender of Tobruk – one of the lowest points in the Allied war effort. Soviet firebrand Foreign Minister Molotov was also in town to sign the crucial Anglo-Soviet Treaty.

“Despite punishing global trials and tribulations, which changed the course of the war, Churchill apparently found time to sign this book and dedicate a personal note to the Doctor who had treated his daughter. It’s really quite extraordinary when you think about it.”

The signed book was uncovered in a crate of secondhand texts which had been sent to the Bookbarn from a bookshop in Wolverhampton which had recently closed down.

William Pryor said: “We have no idea how the book came to be there, but clearly it would have been a treasured heirloom. We were planning to display the book as part of our historic Darwin Room collection – but the interest in it has been so great that we were persuaded it should go directly for auction.”

Bath Auction House, Dominic Winter, has valued the book at £1,500. The signed copy of The World Crisis will be among lots at their auction on December 13th.