A GROUP of Ammanford students have been bringing history to life with a new project tracing the lives of former pupils who fought in the First World War.

The year nine students at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman have set themselves a challenge to find the people behind the names that appear on commemorative plaque that has stood in the lower school hall for many years.

Placed there in memory of the former pupils who fought in the Great War between1914-1918- and in particular to remember William Ewart Thomas who died in action near Arras in 1918- the plaque has intrigued the pupils who are up giving up their Monday after school free time and Wednesday lunchtimes in pursuit of the information.

Leading the investigation is history teacher Rachel Evans. She has secured a £1000 grant from the Wales Remembers fund- which is helping to mark the 100 years anniversary- to allow the project to go ahead as well as other funding to allow six months subscription to the ancestry.com records site.

So far the pupils have managed to discover facts using the census, birth, death and army records of those named. They have managed to trace one former pupil, Griffith J Beynon who appears to have been from Llandybie before dying in London some years later and have found some various information on others- including discovering that of the boys would have been only 11 at the start of the war.

They have also traced William Ewart Thomas’ grave to France and have been able to compare and contrast the vastly different life style between then and now, as well as bringing home to them the horrors of the war.

But information is drying up and they are now appealing to Guardian readers for their help in creating a fuller picture.

Says Miss Evans: “The pupils have really been taken by this project and are extremely enthusiastic and genuinely interested in finding the pupils named. It’s a great way to bring the curriculum alive for them.

“We’ve have managed to do some investigation and have come up with a lot of information but it is proving hard going as there are not many official records and most of the army records were destroyed in the Blitz.

“We are hoping readers can help us and want everyone who may be able to help to get in contact with us to. They can do this by providing information, records or even stories, pictures and memories.”

The project will be ongoing through the school year. Pupils will collate all the information and are aiming to present their findings to the community.

The names of those on the plaque are: William Ewart Thomas, Griffith J Beynon, Alun Bowen, Meurig Bowen, Aneurin Daniel, W. Brinley Davies, Dewi Edwards, John Morgan Edwards, Carey Edwards, Samuel Hicks, Thomas John Jones, Teddy Jones, Tudor Jones, Cecil Leonard, Kenneth Lloyd, Brinley Morgan, Tudor L Morgan, Sylvanog Rosser, Idris Rees, Fred Thomas, W Ellias Thomas, Griffth Thomas, D Amman Williams, W Morgan Williams and Russel Williams.

If you can help in anyway, please email the group at cymruncofio@dyffrynaman.org