Rare archives from the First World War are being exhibited at a Walthamstow museum. 

The exhibition at Vestry House in Vestry Road titled 'Raid, Rationing and Riots: Waltham Forest and the Great War' draws on the personal experiences of those who lived and worked in the borough through possessions and official documents. 

Visitors can find out about a Leyton teenager called Jack Cornwall who was the youngest recipient to be awarded the Victoria Cross. He died of wounds sustained at the  Battle of Jutland. 

It also explores the role of nurses at Whipps Cross Hospital, the tragedy of Clapton Orient players, who were first English Football League club to volunteer en masse to serve in the 17th Middlesex - the Footballers' Battalion, and the exciting yet deadly dangerous life of pilots known as the 'Chingfliers', who trained at Chingford Aerodrome.   

The Museum hopes that the exhibition will encourage residents to come forward with information and stories about their ancestors who lived through the Great War.

Chris Robbins, leader of Waltham Forest Council said: "This important exhibition is a fitting tribute to the local people who lived, fought and died in this terrible conflict.

"The events of a hundred years ago can seem remote, but these incredible stories of courage and ingenuity really help us to connect with the past, imagine how we might have coped in such circumstances and, for some, shed new light on their own family history."

'Raids, Rationing and Riots' will run until March 2015.