91Èȱ¬

An embroidered heart, a nurse's autograph book and a customised cigarette lighter are just a few objects that have been added to an innovative online digital heritage project.

aims to gather, catalogue and make public an undiscovered treasure trove of World War One artefacts and memorabilia that currently remains in private hands.

Project organisers are calling on people to get involved and bring their World War One heirlooms and artefacts along to a series of workshops to be held in Aberystwyth, Newport and Swansea in August, and have an expert examine their memorabilia and share their memories.

The material will be catalogued and made available to the public on website.

Project manger, Gethin Matthews explains the aim of the project:

"We want to build a picture of how the global war impacted upon Wales: how it permanently changed attitudes and affected all aspects of Welsh culture.

This includes the experiences and objects relating to those on the home front, not just those in the firing line."

Previous roadshows received a wide range of items to add to the online collection. Mr Matthews says: "At our first roadshow [at St Fagans, Cardiff], the public brought in some fascinating items for us to look at.

"We had letters and photographs sent by servicemen: one of the most poignant items was a faded and creased photograph of a soldier's wife and daughter. David Thomas of Abertridwr had taken this with him to the trenches when he volunteered in 1914."

"One particularly poignant item brought in was an autograph book that was kept during the war years by Jessie Hughes of Holywell, who served as a nurse at a military hospital in Manchester. It included some sketches drawn for her by the soldiers she was looking after, as well as messages of thanks.

"Perhaps my favourite was a cigarette lighter which had been customised by its owner, a soldier with the Guards Machine Gun Regiment, by soldering two regimental buttons onto it.

"We also saw an embroidered heart, sent back by a soldier of the Somerset Light Infantry to his wife.

"Probably the most sobering item brought in was a scroll commemorating the 114 men from two collieries in who had volunteered for active service - that figure shows how deep the impact of the war was on communities throughout Wales."

You can take your World War One artefacts to be assessed, photographed and recorded for posterity to any of the following roadshows:

, Aberystwyth, on Tuesday 17 August, from 10am.

, John Frost Square on Tuesday 24 August.

, Swansea on Wednesday 25 August.

To get more details on the roadshows and to find out more about , visit their website.

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