The stories of more than 90,000 First World War volunteers have been compiled with the help of Kingston University as part of centenary commemorations.
Hundreds of volunteers from Kingston University’s Centre for the Historical Record contributed to the online archive, which features stories ranging from driving ambulances on battlefields to cleaning floors in makeshift hospitals back home.
The archive has taken two years to make, with volunteers transcribing a collection of 100-year-old personnel index cards holding details of people who gave their time to support the war effort.
Volunteer Anne Beaumont said: “You see the people come to life right in front of your eyes, and the more you discover, the more you want to know. It’s impossible to resist the urge to find more about their lives and who they were.”
In total the group sifted through 244,000 registration cards, with volunteers from the British Red Cross and societies such as local history associations contributing.
The stories are taken from the experiences of Voluntary Aid Detachment workers during the war, including nurses, cooks, kitchen maids and drivers. Visit redcross.org.uk/ww1.
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