“First World War - Steel Remembered” is a collaborative project led by Linc Cymru (Linc), the organisation behind the restoration of Newport’s Lysaght Institute

The project will set out to uncover the real-life stories of the Orb steel workers who marched off to war in 1914-1918 those who came back and those who are commemorated by the Orb Steel Works War Memorial. Through a combination of special events, workshops and outreach programmes, the project team, which includes the local community, will reach out, providing opportunities for people of all ages to take an active part in the research, learn new skills and create a digital archive that can be shared across the world.

Local Historian Stephen Berry, author of the Orb Steel Works Centenary Book said;

“During the First World War everybody was encouraged to sign up or join the war effort. The men of the Orb Steelworks answered that call in their droves and were encouraged by their employer to go. A total of 852 men from the steelworks enlisted between August and December 1914 alone, but many more followed subsequently. No-one who enlisted came out of the experience unscathed and we are keen also to explore the social effects on those who survived and the families of those who did not.”