IN 1914 and 1915, more than one million men headed to their local recruitment offices to sign up to fight in the war.

Then in January 1916, conscription was introduced for single men aged 18 to 41 – and it was only a matter of months until this had been extended to married men too.

David Male, author and historian, said the majority of able-bodied men in Harwich joined the navy.

“A number of the fishermen became members of the minesweepers unit, which was based in Harwich,” he said.

“Vessels were taken over by the Admiralty – one week they were fishing and the next they were on the minesweepers.

“Boys employed by the fishermen also went and it was a very dangerous occupation with a considerable loss of life.”

Dovercourt has its own minesweepers memorial to remember those men.

Historian Philip Cunningham, from Manningtree Museum and History Group, said Manningtree would have been buzzing with military activity in early 1914 as men were hastily called up, kitted out and waved off to France.

But it was not long before those men began to fall.

“On the Manningtree memorial, 47 names are listed, Mistley 60, including two men returning home only to die after hostilities ceased, and Lawford lists 79 men who served and eight lost,” he said.

“Everyone would have known someone who died, encountering relatives on a daily basis; mothers at the shops who had lost sons, bereaved fathers encountered at the factory or pub."