New Archive Captures First World War Memories

An ambitious project shining a spotlight on the lives of fallen First World War Leicestershire soldiers launches this autumn.

The 13,000-record database goes live on the County Council's website in the next few months and means that for the first time ever, people can delve into the personal stories of their soldier ancestors at the click of a mouse. Compiled by local historian Michael Doyle following 20 years of detailed research, the archive enables surfers to search for individual names.

It paints a picture of each casualty's life by revealing what is known about medals awarded, regiment served in, place of burial, war memorial location and more. To commemorate later conflicts and prevent names fading into the history books, the County Council is also recording the lives of local men and women killed in World War II and later conflicts.

Over the next 18 months, this information, plus details of the county's memorials, will be added to the comprehensive online archive. The resource is part of the pioneering Leicestershire and Rutland War Memorials Project - led by the County Council - set up last July to mark the great importance of the tributes and protect them.

David Parsons, Leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: "The First World War records are a key part of an extensive collection, commemorating Leicestershire men and women who fought for their country, and I'd like to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication. "Nearly every day, residents are helping us add to the archive by sending us information on our war memorial heritage and the lives of our fallen soldiers, and it's crucial we capture these memories before they're lost forever. "We value greatly the contribution of the Armed Forces, past and present, and the County Council is proud to be leading the way in preserving these records for future generations."

The council is keen to hear from veterans and soldiers, as well as family and friends of Leicestershire casualties involved in World War II and more recent conflicts.

Anyone willing to share their recollections, photos, diaries, maps or medals, should contact the War Memorial Co-ordinator, Elizabeth Blood, on 0116 267 0004 or e-mail: liz.blood@leics.gov.uk .

More details are also available at: www.leics.gov.uk/warmemorials