HUNDREDS of people came to Hartley Wintney to view an exhibition about villagers’ roles in the First World War.

The village’s history group put together the display for three days at Appleton Hall, in West Green Road.

Of the 500 people from the village who went to fight during the war, 96 did not come back.

Their lives, and deaths, were captured in a timeline that also featured national and international news during the four-year period.

There was also a slideshow of 300 houses in the village that date back to at least 1914 and remain to this day.

Pupils from Robert May’s School, in Odiham, also produced their own research on display boards.

Group member Adrian Bunting said around 800 people came to the exhibition, some from as far away as Derbyshire.

He told The Gazette: “The aim was to show Hartley Wintney in 1914 as it was and identify those people that had joined in and who died during the First World War.

“It wasn’t just about the First World War. It was tailored to feature the population of Hartley Wintney – who they were, where they lived and who their families were.”

Members of the group met once a month for a year to share their research for the exhibition. They were supported by Hartley Wintney Parish Council.

One story to come out of the research was of a woman who lived on the Elvetham estate who saw 12 members of her family leave for the frontline.

Mr Bunting added: “There are about eight surnames that seem to run through the fabric of Hartley Wintney since the 1800s to today. Quite a few of those were on the fatality list.”