PUPILS will visit France as part of a project to remember local miners killed in the First World War.

Children from Parkside Academy, Willington, are researching miners Thomas Anderson, 38, and Fred Purvis, 22, who served in the Durham Light Infantry’s (DLI) 20th Battalion.

Mr Purvis’s name is one of 72,000 British soldiers killed in the Somme listed on the Thiepval memorial in France while Mr Anderson’s grave is near Ypres, Belgium.

The youngsters will lay a wreath at theThiepval memorial, which is dedicated to those soldiers whose bodies were never found.

The visit takes place on Wednesday as part of the European Commission Comenius REGIO project, managed by Durham County Council.

It aims to give youngsters a greater understanding of the conflict and the Willington pupils have alreday worked with French students and used materials from the Durham County Record Office to gather details on the miners.

The visit will allow the English and French students to meet and pay their respects to the war dead.

During its two year run the project will see museums, education officers, archivists and schools work together to pool resources on the war.

Parkside pupils were visited by Mark Naylor, of the Durham PALS re-enactment group, who wore full military kit and led a workshop on the DLI’s role in the conflict.

They also previewed the new Durham at War website www.durhamatwar.org.uk

This will be shared with French archivists and it gives online access to thousands of original documents and photos.