Grand Manan sent almost a quarter of its men to the Great War

Most communities have memorials to their fallen soldiers.

Usually, their names are etched on a plaque, a list of those who fought and fell in battle.

But, the stories behind those names are often unknown.

Roger Nason is trying to change that for a community close to his heart.

The historian is compiling the biographies of Grand Manan residents who served in the First World War.

And not just the 13 who died, but also those who served and lived to return home. 

Speaking to Information Morning Fredericton, Nason, who is from Grand Manan, said it all started years ago with a member of his own family.

"It started with queries to my grandmother about my great-uncle, Clyde Darrell Ingersoll. I found out he had served during the First World War," he said.

Nason did some digging and then he got hooked. 

"Over the past two-and-a-half years, I've tracked down another 107 who enlisted, and of those it included one nursing sister."

He also discovered that many families from the area migrated to the United States during the summer for work in the canning factories is Eastport and Lubec, Maine.

Nason says 99 young men from those families responded to the draft when the U.S. entered the war in April of 1917, bringing the total number well over 200.

"In 1911 the population [of Grand Manan] was at 2,200 and you have 215, and you take away the mothers, the elderly, the children and the rest of it, the average is up around 25 per cent," he said.

Nason believes that gathering the stories of these people and their lives is an important part of history.

"I've been able to piece together not only soldier biographies but what I call the life and times around the family and the community … to give us a sense of place."

Roger Nason's research can be found on his website, grandmananfundyhistory.com