Taking some of Britain’s 37,500 First World War memorials as a starting point, Ian Hislop explores the ways in which all of British society was transformed by the ‘war to end all wars’.

There is a memorial to the dead of the First World War in almost every British village, town and city - with almost a million names. We walk past them every day but probably only notice them once a year on Remembrance Sunday. Not Forgotten has tracked down descendants of some of the men listed on those memorials, and the result is an extraordinarily intimate take on history.

This genealogical connection between the past and present brings the soldiers’ stories to life and highlights the impact that the war had upon British society. By asking descendants to imagine what the horrific experience of the war was like for their relatives, Ian discovers how the shattering experience of the war changed Britain for good.

Some of these descendants will visit their relative’s memorial or hometowns for the first time. Some will know all about their ancestor’s story, but for others it may be the first time they’ve even been told they have a connection to the First World War.

Among the most harrowing stories is that of Annie Souls, who lost five sons in the war. Albert, Frederick, Walter, Alfred and Arthur Souls are commemorated in a memorial which includes their photographs in a church in Great Rissington in the Cotswolds.

Another story told is that of Private Charles Kirman of the Lincolnshire Regiment, who was shot at dawn for going absent without leave in September 1917. Disagreement over whether Kirman should be included meant that his home, Fulstow in Lincolnshire, was one of the few villages in Britain not to have a First World War memorial. Nine decades later, the village decided this year to erect a commemorative plaque to the seven Fulstow men killed - including Kirman.