BECK Isle Museum has published a new book honouring the 79 men from Pickering who died during the First World War.

The book is the result of nearly three years of research by a team of volunteers and follows a special Book of Remembrance, which went on display in the museum in July, this year.

It is based on research about the lives of the men before the outbreak of war, as well as their military movements after they signed up.

Each soldier is remembered and his story told through a number of sources, including extracts from war diaries and letters posted home from the front. The biographies reflect the heroism and bravery of these men, but also illustrate the hardship and horror of fighting in the First World War.

Many of the Pickering men who signed up were in the Yorkshire Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), but there were also men in the Royal Engineers and the Royal Army Medical Corps as well as other regiments.

Between 1914 and 1918 some were killed in action, others in POW camps and others were invalided to England and later died of their wounds.

These stories are interspersed with photographs of the soldiers, images from the front and also photographs of Pickering from the Sydney Smith Collection. The Book of Remembrance is now available to purchase in the museum shop.

Ella Voce, museum manager, said: "It is fantastic to see the research come together into a published book. These stories form a significant piece of local history and it is important that this is made available to the public through the Book of Remembrance."

The Book of Remembrance is part of an ongoing project to celebrate the centenary of the First World War and has been supported by a grant from Arts Council England, through the Remember Scarborough Project.

The next stage of the project at Beck Isle Museum is to research the soldiers who returned home to Pickering after the First World War.

Although the museum is closed to the public throughout December and January, copies of the Book of Remembrance are available by phoning 01751 473653 or email info@beckislemusuem.org.uk