A former British Army Colonel from Dorchester has penned his memoirs to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

David James, from the county town, decided to publish the letters he sent home after arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2006 until he left the country in 2007.

Col James served in the DRC as the Chief of Staff in a UN military division in what was a landmark year for the country, as it held its first general elections for almost 50 years.

The country was also in a huge state of transition, with violent clashes between the supporters of the two political parties and it was also recovering from a war that had claimed more than three million lives.

Col James, who had been a member of the British Army for 30 years, decided to publish the letters following his retirement in August 2013.

He said: “The Congo was going through a fascinating time in its history and very few people from Britain had the opportunity to serve over there.

“I used to send about 20 letters home a week and some of my friends and family said I should publish them as they were interesting, so I did.

The book was officially launched at the Portesham Vineyard earlier this month in an event that raised more than £240 for the charity.

Col James dedicated the launch event to Help for Heroes, which helps support and also provide better facilities for injured servicemen and women from the British Army, as the charity has a personal resonance with the author.

He added: “I wanted to support Fisher House, which is a facility catering for the families of those wounded treated at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birming-ham. We have a friend who was recently injured in Afghanistan and his family were very appreciative of what Fisher House did for them.

“Help for Heroes were able to push the money in that direction.”

The book is available at Waterstones.