A quest to uncover hidden stories of Lacock’s soldiers gathered momentum when villagers and visitors came together to investigate the village’s role in the First World War.

The Lacock History Group has spent the last year unearthing stories of the 150 men of the village who served in the war, with their findings so far presented at an exhibition at the village hall on Sunday.

Secretary Lynda Newbury said the event had proved a big success, attracting interest from locals and tourists alike. She said: “To date we know of 150 men who served. Thirty-five died and are on the war memorial, but we want to research the ones who came back.

“We had a display of what we have so far, advertisements and reports from local newspapers of the time. But it was also a research day for people to come along if they had family members who served. A lot of families came to us with their family stories, and people brought along medals and badges and memorabilia.”

The group hopes to produce a booklet which will detail the lives of those who survived the war. Mrs Newbury said: “We will certainly see how research goes, but we intend to do further displays, and in the end we hope to leave some sort of booklet for future generations.

To find out more contact Mrs Newbury on (01249) 730212.