A SOUTH Craven village has launched its First World War website after several months of preparation by volunteers.

The lottery-funded Farnhill WW1 Volunteers Project launched the site with a public display of photographs at Kildwick and Farnhill Village Institute.

The site, farnhill.co.uk/volunteers, lists all 68 volunteers who were named on a roll of honour created by Farnhill Parish Council in 1916 before conscription was introduced.

The site also contains news items, articles and photo galleries which will be updated on a regular basis throughout the project.

Speaking at the launch event, committee member Helen Moran said: “Since early January a group of us have been researching the lives of men from Farnhill who volunteered to serve in the First World War.

“We’ve gathered lots of information about them including some incredible stories of survival and bravery. Some of this information is on show here today but we’ll be able to make much more available through the website.”

Peter Ford of FaxSol, who designed the website, was on hand to press the ‘go live’ button enabling visitors at the event to view live web pages on their tablets and mobile phones.

Also on display were slideshows of village scenes from the early 20th century and information and personal items belonging to some of the men.

Biographies of the 68 men will be published later next year once the research into the mens’ lives has been completed.

Kildwick and Farnhill Village Institute received a grant of £8,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), through its First World War: Then and Now programme, to research the lives of the 68 men from Farnhill who volunteered to serve their country.

On the day that First World War conscription was introduced, early in 1916, Farnhill Parish Council created a Roll of Honour – naming the men from the village who were already serving with the armed forces.

The project is researching the lives of these 68 men: before, during, and after the war and also explore what life in Farnhill was like 100 years ago, and the social context in which the volunteers lived.

This information will be made as widely available and easily accessible as possible through talks, events, and a website on which short biographies of the men will be published at the end of the project.

Project organisers would like to hear from anyone who would like to get involved with the project or is related to or remembers any of the volunteers and their families or has photographs or other information about them.

Visit farnhill.co.uk/volunteers or email farnhillww1volunteers@gmail.com for further information.