A FORMER school teacher has worked tirelessly to create a unique tribute to fallen First World War soldiers – 100 years after one of its bloodiest battles.

Colin Letchford, of Maurice Road, Canvey has created a 100 foot scroll containing the names of more than 18,000 soliders who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916.

Mr Letchford took the names from a book “Soldiers killed on the first day of The Somme” by Ernest W Bell, and spent an entire day photocopying and pieces the pages together.

The former borough and town councillor added that he created the banner to highlight the sacrifice soldiers made a century ago, and took it to show youngsters at Castle View School in Foksville Road.

He said: “On that day, all the soldiers went ‘over the top’ at 7.30am and were dead by lunchtime. That brings home the enormity of it really.

“The other thing to consider is that the exact number of the soldiers who died is unlikely to be known, so it could be anything from 18,000 to 19,000 or possibly more. When you read the names out, it almost becomes like a telephone directory.”

Mr Letchford added: “I contacted the school through a member of a beach group I volunteer with, and I was aware that Castle View were looking to covering this as part of the curriculum.

“If something is brought to life and it’s visual like this, then hopefully youngsters can take more of an interest in it.”

The scroll will be displayed in St Nicholas Church, in Long Road, today as part of a remembrance service starting at 6.15 am, and aims to bring it to Castle Point Council’s offices in Kiln Road, Thundersley.

Alan Reed, project director at Canvey Bay Museum, in Western Esplanade, has urged south Essex residents to take a look at artefacts on display and diary extracts online.

Mr Reed, 66, said: “We have lots on display, and the diaries on our website show just what was going through the young men’s minds as they prepared to go over the top.”