Over the next three years, the Surrey in the Great War website aims to publish thousands of stories about Surrey towns, villages, organisations and individuals to serve as an enduring record of the county's contribution 100 years ago.

People with stories or photographs from the time are invited to post them on the website to help create this lasting digital memorial. They will also be able to search through the website's records from the period including indexes to local newspapers to find out more about wartime life in the county.

The site is the centrepiece of Surrey in the Great War: A County Remembers, a four-year First World War commemoration project funded with an HLF grant of almost £460,000.

[quote=Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East]“The website will be invaluable for recording and sharing this new research.”[/quote]

The project has helped to uncover various wartime stories linked to Surrey, including the adventures of Flora Sandes from Thornton Heath who pretended to be a man and became a captain in the Serbian army. It also gives insights into the life of renowned war poet Wilfred Owen who trained at Witley North Camp near Godalming in 1916, where he wrote a precursor to his famous poem Anthem for Doomed Youth.

Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East, said: “The centenary commemorations are giving us new insights into the impact of the First World War on every part of the UK. Resources such as this new website will be invaluable for recording and sharing this new research, ensuring that the memories and experiences of war-time Surrey will be remembered for many years to come.”