PRIMARY school children will help a village to remember its fallen men of the Great War.

The war was brought to life for pupils at Aldermaston Primary School when they wrote the names of local men who died in World War One, to be used on a centenary plaque commissioned by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE).

With the help of David Whithorn, an AWE historian, the children learned about what it would have been like for soldiers during the war, before hand-writing the names of 44 local men.

Dressed in a Royal Berkshire Regiment dress uniform from the period, David brought history to life for the Year 6 pupils who took part in the special task.

The 44 hand-written names will be digitised and engraved on a metal plaque that will be presented to the village of Aldermaston by AWE in September.

Computerised records have allowed the addition of a significant number of new names alongside those from existing memorials, including several sets of brothers.

A ceremony to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, during which the children’s plaque will be presented, will be held on September 25 at St Mary’s Church.

The date marks the centenary of the first day of the Battle of Loos, where several Aldermaston and Wasing soldiers died.

Research by AWE has shown that a significant proportion of Aldermaston men joined the 8th Royal Berkshire at the outbreak of war.

They were sent to France in August 1915 to be placed in the elite 1st Brigade, 1st Division. After only days in the line, they attacked the enemy at Loos alongside their more experienced comrades.

They acquitted themselves well capturing three lines of trenches before being forced back.

During the battle, the 8th Royal Berkshire lost 250 men killed and approximately three times this wounded - effectively the whole battalion - and the Somme had yet to be fought.

Rhodri Bowen, Aldermaston Primary School headteacher, said: “A hundred years ago seems like a long time ago to our 11-year-old children.

It’s great when the history of events and people are brought to life with the enthusiasm and knowledge of someone like David, along with his fascinating range of artefacts.”