THE 90th anniversary of the brave sacrifice made by thousands of East Lancashire men is set to be commemorated at a special exhibition.

Burnley's Towneley Hall will stage the exhibition -- which will look at some of the individuals who made up the Accrington Pals -- from August 4, and also tell one of the most enduring stories to come out of the First World War.

A month after the outbreak of war, local newspapers reported that the War Office had accepted an offer made by the mayor of Accrington, Captain John Harwood, to raise a complete battalion.

When recruitment began a week later, more than 100 men were accepted in the first three hours. Brothers, cousins, friends and workmates enlisted together, and by September 24 the Accrington Pals battalion had reached a full strength of 36 officers and 1,076 other ranks.

The optimism of those early days, however, was soon to fade as the Pals became some of the first victims of the first Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916. On that first day of what was to be a four-month battle for just a few metres of land, 235 of the Pals, or the 11th battalion of East Lancashire Regiment to give them their proper name, were killed and 350 were injured.

Civilian weavers, clerks, miners, husbands fathers and sons were all wiped out within minutes in what turned out to be one of the biggest disasters of the war.

The story of the Pals from Burnley, and the part other men from the town played in the First World War, will be celebrated as part of an exhibition at Towneley Hall to mark the 90th anniversary of the start of the conflict.

Mike Townend, a local historian at the hall, is currently researching the role men from Burnley played and starting on August 4 will feature a different story every day of local people who served or who were connected to the conflict.

The exhibition will run until Remembrance Day when all 90 stories will be shown.

As part of the exhibition the hall has released a photograph showing men from the Burnley section of the Accrington Pals at Ripon camp in 1915 and is appealing for anyone who knows any of those featured to come forward.

Coun Barry Guttridge, the council's executive member for leisure, said: "The display will give the museum the chance to show medals, memorials and personal effects which have not been on display for some time."

Rev Ian Robertson, of St John's Church in Accrington -- where the Pals gathered before going to war -- said interest in their story was still strong. He said: "We get people coming here all the time to look at the memorial. It would be nice to have a permanent exhibition to their bravery, somewhere."

If anyone can identify any of the men in the picture they should contact Mike Townend at Towneley Hall on 01282 424213.