Residents of a Suffolk town had the chance to hear the stories of First World War military personnel who lived in their homes at the launch of a special memorial trail.
Many people turned up for an exhibition at Saxmundham Market Hall on Saturday to inaugurate the trail, which aims to bring the soldiers' stories to life.
The visitors also had the chance to sponsor a tree for £100 and put their name on a plot in the town’s memorial garden as part of the 100th anniversary of the memorial field, where memorial gates are set to be dedicated in honour of the soldiers in November.
The trail was researched and designed by residents, with pupils at Saxmundham Primary School creating markers detailing where the troops are commemorated and, in some cases, buried in the town’s Commonwealth War Graves.
Geraldine Barker, one of the organisers of the memorial trail, said: “It went really well, we are very pleased. We had a stall in the Market Hall and we have had lots enquiries.
“A lot of people found it interesting. They identified that soldiers used to live in their houses. Some said it was their family.”
To enable walkers to read about the lives of the men, each marker has a QR code that links to the council’s website.
A leaflet containing the basic information is also available from either Saxmundham Museum or Library.
Each soldier has an individual biography that not only records where he lived, fought and died, but highlights his work and family life.
The biographies are available via the trail QR code or accessible on the Saxmundham town website.
The commemorative gates will be dedicated at the town’s memorial field in a ceremony at 2pm on November 5.
A new information board has been installed at the field in Rendham Road, while there has also been landscaping at the entrance, new benches and new trees have been planted.
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