Rarely-seen war dead rolls go on display

Published on Tuesday 11 March 2008 09:29

A DISPLAY date has been confirmed for never-before-seen archives featuring the names of men who fell during the First World War.

The Leith Rolls of Honour have been in storage since they were created in the 1920s.

But now, thanks to organisers of the Leith Festival and local historians, they will be available for public viewing as part of this year's Leith Festival, between May 30 and June 8 at Leith Library.

It means local people will be able to see details of their ancestors who fell during the Great War, and it is hoped it will prove a big hit with those going to the festival.

There are also plans to digitise the books, meaning people could search the archives without risking the condition of the volumes, which were kept at the old Leith Memorial Hospital before being moved to the Lothian Health Service Archives (LHSA).

A spokesman for the initiative said an appointment system would be in place whereby members of the public with relatives and loved ones named in the rolls would be able to see the particular page involved.

Through the LHSA they will be able to obtain copies of the pages either in photographic, electronic transfer or other suitable means.