A KINGSCLERE pub which was the scene of a brutal triple murder is featured in a new book called Murder at the Inn.

The Crown, in Kingsclere, was peppered with bullets on October 5, 1944, during a shooting in which the landlady and two American soldiers lost their lives.

American troops opened fire on the pub, then named the Crown Inn, after an argument between soldiers and military police.

The report describes the incident as “a scene reminiscent of gangster methods of American films”, and described how “a number of the men went to camp and secured firearms.

“They returned and stationed themselves behind the low wall of the churchyard, which is on the opposite side of the road to the inn.

“At 10pm, when the military police were leaving the inn, the soldiers opened fire and bullets spattered against the hotel and went through the windows.”

It reported how the landlady, Rose Napper, was hit with a bullet in the jaw as she stood behind the bar, and died in hospital of her injuries.

Two soldiers also died in the pub after being caught in the hail of bullets, which left about 30 bullet marks on the walls and windows. Several civilians took shelter under tables.

A group of 10 American soldiers were later captured and all were sentenced to life imprisonment after a Court Martial.

The gruesome tale features alongside others including Lord Lucan and Jack the Ripper in Murder at the Inn, by author James Moore.

He said: “The history of Britain’s pubs, inns and hotels has gone hand in hand with the history of crime.

“Now, for the first time we link pubs that can still be found today with captivating and sometimes horrifying tales from their past.”