To commemorate 100 years since the Battle of the Somme - known as one of the appalling battles during the World War One - Watford Museum is hosting an exhibition that charts the town's response to the conflict.

The battle, which took place between July 1 and November 18, 1916, was fought by the armies from the British and French empires against the Germans and was one of the largest battles on the Western Front during the war. With more than one million people either killed or injured, the battle had significant social and political consequences in Britain, with many talking about the 'lost generation' and how they found it difficult to justify the near 88,000 Allied men lost for every mile the army gained in the advance.

The exhibition at the museum brings 1916 to life with historical images of the town and fascinating anecdotes about real-life experiences from Watfordians.

Curator of the exhibition, Luke Clarke explains: "We are marking each year of the Great War in our yearly summer exhibition.

"The Battle of the Somme, the first day of which is the bloodiest in the history of the British Army, had a huge impact at home, with at least 160 Watford men losing their lives.

"Through local newspapers, personal letters and images, our exhibition gives people a rare insight into how Watford and its people coped."

A particular highlight of the exhibition is the Western Front violin. On loan from the Imperial War Museum, the violin was made in the 1980s by the former leader of the Watford Philharmonic Orchestra, Kenneth Popplewell, who crafted it using timber he had collected from the sycamore and pine tree roots that survived the carnage of the Somme battlefields.

The violin was gifted to the Imperial War Museum, where it is frequently played on Armistice Day. This year it will be used in the orchestra's remembrance concert at Watford Colosseum in October.

As part of the commemoration, the museum is also putting the Watford Roll of Honour online, along with biographies and memorials. As well as the 830 Watford servicemen on the roll, there are around 500 more who do not feature but these will be added to the online database for people to search.

Watford Museum, Lower High Street, Watford, until September 24. Details: watfordmuseum.org.uk, ourwatfordhistory.org.uk.