The Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War project is calling on the public to help contribute the personal stories of thousands of men who fought during the Battle of the Somme. 

The online digital project has been in operation since the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, building a crowd-sourced database collection of all those who took part. 

Over 7.5m names are now included on the site from a total of 8m men and women who served during the First World War, with 140,000 life stories created. 

Ahead of the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, to which thousands of Irish men contributed, IWM are calling on the public to help advance the online resource.

Diane Lees, IWM Director General, said: 'The Battle of the Somme was a defining moment in the First World War. Sons, brothers and fathers risked their lives in one of the bloodiest battles.

'Ahead of the 2016 centenary, IWM would like everyone to think about the ordinary men who went  'over the top' on 1 July and to help complete their stories on Lives of the First World War.'

The Lives of the First World War project will continue to operate throughout the centenary of the war and beyond, becoming preserved as a research tool for future generations. 

Click here to access the website and help to build a story of someone you know. 

Click here to explore our interactive timeline of the Battle of the Somme.