BASINGSTOKE and Deane’s First World War heroes will be remembered at a public exhibition of the borough’s Roll of Honour.

As part of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s commemorations to mark the centenary of the First World War, the Roll of Honour is now available to view on the borough council’s website, and a copy of the original document will go on show at The Willis Museum, in the Top of The Town.

The original Roll of Honour – which lists more than 1,200 Basingstoke men who served in the four-year conflict – was first created in 1916 and is held at the Hampshire Record Office, in Winchester.

According to Basingstoke historian David Stewart, who has been researching all the men listed on the Basingstoke war memorial, Alice Fisher, of Cliddesden Road, Basing-stoke, presented the then Mayor and Basingstoke Town Council with the Roll of Honour in June 1916, naming local men who were serving in or who had been serving in the forces up to that time.

The list of 1,036 names has been inscribed by Winchester Road resident Ernest Henry George Bolley and it was agreed by the Mayor and Miss Fisher that Mr Bolley would inscribe the additional names of men joining up to serve in the conflict after it finished in 1918.

However, the names listed on the Roll of Honour are only those serving in the military, namely the Army, Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, along with Basingstoke men who have emigrated and served in the Armed Forces in Commonwealth countries such as Canada and Australia.

English members of the French Red Cross and merchant Marines who served between 1914 and 1918 were not added to the Roll of Honour.

Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Councillor Roger Gardiner, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for as many people as possible to gain access to the Basingstoke Roll of Honour, and to view the names of those brave servicemen who fought in the First World War.

“As it says on the document, ‘Lest We Forget’ and this is a chance for people of all ages to remember the service and sacrifice made by local people during the war.

“We have already held a memorial service to remember those who died and are listed on the borough’s war memorials. This Roll of Honour adds the names of those who fought and survived to the list.”