The stories of soldiers killed during World War One will be shared in a poignant way if a history club’s plans come to fruition.
Saltaire History Club is researching the backgrounds of soldiers from the village who lost their lives in the conflict.
Club member Colin Coates has spent hours pouring over rolls of honour, census records and micro-film records of the Shipley Times from the war years.
Working alongside the Bradford World War One Group, it is hoped the most detailed history of the village’s First World War experience can be compiled.
The trail concept was inspired by the Saltaire Arts Trail which runs each May in the World Heritage Site village.
Fellow club member Dave Shaw would like residents to back the club’s idea of a trail of homes where Saltaire soldiers lived. Each would have a wreath on the door and a script telling the soldier’s story.
He said: “We’ve got an advantage in Saltaire in finding the homes of the men who were killed and injured or fought, because the housing stock is still here.
“If you were to walk along Victoria Road, there will be two or three houses that lost young men in World War One and it’s quite sobering to know that.”
Mr Shaw said Saltaire suffered in several ways because of the war.
“There were social consequences here in Saltaire because a lot of the men either recruited or conscripted were working in the mill (Salts Mill) to keep construction going. They had to look further afield to find people to work in the mill and in doing that to find houses for them. At that time people lived in homes belonging to the mill, so what they did was evict a lot of people,” he said.
“There was a family where the man was working in the mill and he had to go to fight and they were evicted. They had to find their own solutions, it was a very difficult predicament.”
Mr Shaw said the then mill owner Sir James Roberts, had no choice but to make such tough decisions.
The group’s research has uncovered many stories about more than 100 soldiers who died with direct links to Saltaire.
Mr Coates said: “Some of the things are unbelievable. I’ve been surprised particularly by the amount for such a small place. There’s been over 100 so far.”
The group believes there are descendants of at least one Saltaire First World War soldier still in the area after a wreath was placed at one of the village’s three memorials. Anyone who has information or pictures should e-mail historyclub@saltairevillage.info.