This handwritten copy of the famous poem 'For the Fallen' was written and signed by the poet Lawrence Binyon. It was first published in the Times newspaper on 21st September 1914 at the start of the First World War and has come to symbolise sacrifice in war. The famous line from the poem, "We Will Remember Them" is still chorused across the world on Remembrance Day each year.

Laurence Binyon was a Lancashire man born at 1 High Street, Lancaster in 1869 to the Reverend Fredrick Binyon and his wife Mary. He attended Oxford University and by the time he graduated in 1893 he was already a published poet and known in literary circles.

The First World War had a big impact on Lancashire, particularly in the industrial towns of the county which raised 'Pals Battalions' at the outbreak of the war, encouraging men to sign up with their friends, relatives and work colleagues. In towns such as Preston, Salford and Accrington patriotic volunteers flocked to enlist in August and September 1914. Many of these battalions suffered heavy losses on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

During the First World War 880,000 British servicemen were killed which was 6% of the adult male population, including thousands of Lancashire men. Many served with the seven Lancashire regiments which included the Lancashire Fusiliers, The East Lancashire Regiment and the South Lancashire Regimen, these men were commemorated in memorials in their streets, villages, and towns. The phrase "We Will Remember them" is carved into these memorials at home and abroad to mark the ultimate sacrifice made by so many in both world wars.