KEIGHLEY historians hope more villages will join their crusade to honour war heroes on the centenaries of their deaths.

The Men of Worth Project has arranged for the names of dozens of Keighley men to be read out each year during the town’s Remembrance Sunday Parade.

Air, sea, army and marine cadets last year related the names of 49 men who had died during 1914, the first year of the First World War.

A small number of names were also read out at similar ceremonies in Haworth and Oakworth to represent the men from each village who had died.

Keighley, Haworth and Oakworth will repeat the measure this year, for more than 200 people who died in 1915, and Cross Roads will also take part.

Men of Worth spokesman Andy Wade offered support to other villages who would like to join the initiative.

He also hoped families in outlying villages would come forward if they had relatives whose names were not recorded on their local memorials.

Mr Wade said: “We are doing it this way in the centenary year of their deaths, partly because we think it's appropriate.

“It gives those who attend each year an idea of how the area would have lived through the mounting death toll.”

“We have been able to add a lot more names to the lists through our own research. The cadets have been really professional about reading the names and take it very seriously indeed.”

Mr Wade said that when each town or village originally compiled its roll of honour and war memorial lists, the organisers invited submissions of names.

But he said: “We know some families had moved away or the parents had died before the memorials were built and it's quite possible some were too upset to take part at all.

“For example, Oakworth war memorial wasn't built until 1937, and we have found another 22 names that could have been included under the criteria.

“We would be happy to supply names for anyone else in our area who would like to do something along similar lines.”

Anyone who would like to supply names or join the Men of Worth’s initiative should e-mail andy@menofworth.org.uk or contact Andy on 07792 665336.