People in Angus are being urged to play their part in an initiative which aims to uncover stories from World War One.
One of the highlights of the Tayroots Family History Day will be the launch of Angus’ participation in Scotland’s War Project.
The national initiative aims to uncover and tell the stories of the Great War and how it affected Scottish families and communities.
“This is a way for the people of Angus to become involved in the World War One centenary by sharing documents and photographs from that period and telling the stories they contain,” said Angus Archives archivist Craig Pearson, who will be talking about the World War One resources held by the archives at the Tayroots Family History Day next Friday at Dundee and Angus College in Arbroath.
From September 8-12, the team at Angus Archives, which is based in Forfar, is also asking people to bring along wartime photos and documents, which can be scanned and added to the Your Local Hero Blank Canvas Collage.
“Alternatively, you can simply add the name of a relative who fought or was lost in the First World War,” said Mr Pearson.
Kirriemuir’s Gateway to the Glens Museum will also be exhibiting a collection of local items telling the story of World War One, while Arbroath’s Signal Tower Museum aims to mark the centenary by displaying a handmade poppy in honour of every man from the town who died in the history-changing conflict.
This year’s Angus Heritage Week will open with the Tayroots Family History Day which will provide a wealth of opportunities to find out more about how to trace a family tree, unearth information about ancestors or discover more about Angus’ history.
The Tayroots Family History Day will feature a variety of genealogy workshops aimed at all levels of family history, with experts on hand to offer advice and share their knowledge.
There will also be a programme of talks, starting with Bruce Bishop, chairman of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies, who will be followed by historian Dr Dan Paton, curator of Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre.
Dr Paton will be discussing Montrose during World War One, when the town’s air station played a vital part in training pilots, as well as how Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre can assist with family history research.
Helen Foster of the Scottish Archive Network (Scran) will be explaining how to use the resources on the Scran website to find out more about family heritage and archivist Caroline Brown from Dundee University will be unlocking the secrets hidden away in medical records.
During Angus Heritage Week 2014, a wide range of events, activities and exhibitions will take place across the county.
The full programme can be found at www.angusheritage.com/heritageweek.