HISTORIANS who unearthed the lives of forgotten soldiers have been hailed for "bringing old photos alive" in a poignant documentary.

The names of 66 men, all from Grandpont in Oxford, were etched into a memorial at St Matthew's Church after they failed to return from First World War battle.

Their memory lived on only through fading photographs and letters sent home before their deaths – until historian Liz Woolley, who lives opposite the church, enlisted volunteers to make film about their plight.

The 49-year-old, who has spent 18 months delving into electoral records and books, said: "It feels like a nice legacy to make this film, which will be shown around Oxfordshire and taken into schools.

"Someone suggested to me I should research the names and it seemed like the perfect project given how close I live. It was timely as well as last year the church celebrated its 125th anniversary.

"It was also about getting this small community involved, thinking about what it was like 100 years ago."

The film is a combination of interviews with relatives, Oxford-based experts and footage of burial fields in France and Belgium, set to specially-composed music, which Ms Woolley described as "beautiful and moving".

Ms Woolley worked alongside colleague Simon Haynes to create the film, which was part of a wider '66 men of Grandpont' project featuring a touring exhibition and a poppy trail around soldiers' former homes.

David Belcher found out that his uncle, Arthur, died of wounds in September 1917 in northern France, aged 21, after reading an article about the project in the Oxford Times.

The Berkshire resident said: "I didn't really know about it until then. I got in touch with Liz and learnt much more. It's been absolutely fascinating. My family never really talked about him, we didn't want to upset my grandmother.

"You can look at faded photographs but what Liz and her colleagues have done is brought them alive again. Liz has a map of Grandpont and the men who went off to war – almost every household. It was a real shock."

The war, which lasted from 1914-18, saw the men posted mainly in France but also more exotic locations like Iraq.

Soldier Ernest Brooks, who was sniped down in September 1917 in Belgium, was a family friend of 66-year-old Clive Organ.

Mr Organ, who lives near Thame, said: "When Ernest was killed his sister Dorothy was basically adopted as a member of the family. When she died I acquired this biscuit tin with photos and various artefacts.

"Those left behind were well and truly left behind. Without this project Dorothy and Ernest's story would have been forgotten."

The documentary will be screened to the public at St Matthew's Church on Friday at 6pm, with free entry, following an invite-only premier at Oxford Town Hall the night before.