A Dartmouth appeal has been launched to identify nine forgotten heroes of the First World War. The Dartmouth History Group has managed to research information on 158 of the names on Dartmouth's Royal Avenue Gardens war memorial. But there are nine that that so far no one has been able to come up with any information with any certainty, explained local historian and author Eric Preston. When the research is complete it is hoped to display the information as part of an exhibition to help mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One in August 1914. The men Mr Preston is trying to get information about are Jack Alexander, Benjamin Brittain, Alfred T Chase, Reginald Drake, Frank T Grant, William A Howe, Aubrey S Lee, Alfred J Phillips and Thomas J Warren. Mr Preston said: 'The Dartmouth History Research Group have been researching the names on the Dartmouth War Memorial of those servicemen who died in World War 1, 1914-1918. 'There are some names that we have not yet been able to identify, and we would be particularly grateful if anyone has information on these men. 'Their full names, the addresses of their families, or any other details such as when and where they died, would be useful.' Mr Preston said that while he had been able to trace servicemen with those names there was no certainty that they were the Dartmouth men on the town's memorial. 'I can't ID them for certain because there are often several different people with the same name,' he explained. Anyone who can help can send information people to Mr Preston on email [email protected]">[email protected] or to the History Group's website, http://www.dartmouth-history.org.uk">www.dartmouth-history.org.uk.