A NEW exhibition called Soldiers at Stonehenge: Salisbury Plain and the journey to the First World War is to open at Stonehenge Visitors Centre on Wednesday.

The English Heritage exhibition will explore the untold story of Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain and the one million men who trained for war there from 1914-1918.

Stonehenge stood at the heart of the world's largest military training camp during the First World War, with 180,000 men stationed there at any one time, coming from across the Commonwealth to prepare for battle.

With personal stories, photographs and original objects drawn from a range of museums and private, local and national collections - some never on display before - the displays will show what life was like for the men who trained on Salisbury Plain.

The exhibition will be at the Stonehenge visitors centre for six months.

Highlights include medals awarded to the heir to Stonehenge who was killed in action and original artwork of 'The Better 'Ole' - one of the most famous war cartoons of all time. It was on the Salisbury Plain that its creator Bruce Bairnsfather developed his humorous series of cartoons about life in the trenches.

Robert Campbell, head of interpretation at English Heritage, said: “Through a collection of fascinating photos, personal stories, original artwork and medals visitors will get a sense of how this tranquil site was transformed into the world's largest military training ground.

“Troops from across the British Empire travelled to the Salisbury Plains to prepare for war starting with Canadian soldiers in 1914, followed by men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) in 1916.

“The task of the men training on Salisbury Plain was to overcome the horrific stalemate of trench warfare. To replicate conditions on the Western Front, soldiers dug intricate networks of trenches which were then pounded by shellfire. Innovative but deadly new technology pioneered in the training camps and secret establishments created in Wiltshire from 1914-1918 resulted in major developments in aviation, artillery and chemical warfare.”

The exhibition includes archaeological finds on loan from Wiltshire Museum including cap badges, rifle cartridges, aircraft parts and highly personal items such as a spoon and even part of a bottle of Australian hair tonic, all found during the excavations of practice trenches on Salisbury Plain and field walking as part of the Yatesbury RFC Aerodrome Community Archaeology Project, run by Finding the Forgotten and the Wiltshire Archaeology Field Group.

Admission is included in the entry price for Stonehenge.