Archive plea for war memorabilia

Drawing by Percy Matthews, while stationed in Greece

An appeal has been made for First World War memorabilia, which will help form an online archive marking the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day.

The University of Oxford is putting together the archive to help future generations understand what the war meant to soldiers and their families.

It will include artefacts, letters, diaries, poems and stories.

The free resource, aimed at schools and universities, will be launched on 11 November, 90 years after the war ended.

Dr Stuart Lee, project director, said: "Some of the items may be in a fragile condition after 90 years, and are at risk of being lost forever.

"However insignificant, each of these personal items has a part to play in helping today's generation to understand what war meant to ordinary people: the soldiers, their families and the workers back in Britain who kept the country going."

Photos can be submitted via the website or items can be taken to local libraries for photographing or scanning.

Dr Liz Masterman, who works at the university, submitted a selection of sketches by Percy Matthews, her husband's grandfather.

"My husband and his family have treasured Percy's drawings over the decades and are delighted that others will now be able to enjoy them too," she said.