Motivated by local objection to the proposed relocation of the Havant war memorial, students from Havant Sixth Form College became interested in the names of those who fought in the First World War. The group teamed up with local film production company Millstream Productions to investigate the lives of those who fought and the wider impact of the war on the Havant community.

A management committee mainly made up of students formed to coordinate the project. They hosted a well-attended launch event that featured poetry and wartime food and clothing. Their research soon led the group to discover stories of the wider community, including non-military roles, women’s experience of wartime, and the workings of a local auxiliary hospital. They also discovered artefacts, documents and diary entries through engaging with local historians and heritage centres. Surviving photographs of those on the memorial provided the basis for artwork and inspired the writing of a poem.

Students interviewed relatives of people named on the memorial for the film, creating a strong sense of responsibility to complete this to a high standard. Much of the filming happened in the school holidays at a variety of locations within the local area.

The Havant’s Heroes film and book have been widely shared and copies given to local libraries and schools. The film’s premier attracted a large audience, including students, Havant residents and relatives of those on the memorial. The students organised and ran a question and answer session as part of the film screening. The Havant Heroes website documents the project and their research. Havant’s Heroes also inspired an art project, further family history investigations and a naval warfare project.

Students learnt about aspects of the First World War, such as the social context, that were well beyond the curriculum offered at the college. The young people came together with the local community to create a lasting document of the people of Havant during the First World War.