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They did not know it, but the death knell sounded for a generation of Dundee men the day the First World War began.

By the end of that terrible ordeal more than 4,000 of them would have made the ultimate sacrifice in the mud and blood of the trenches, in the cold seas or on battlefields in countries far away.

Many were lost in 1915 at the Battle of Loos, fought by the 4th Battalion of The Black Watch.

The city they left behind was scarred by their loss but remained remarkably steadfast in its support for the war, raising huge sums in war savings and for a campaign to buy tanks for the army.

Now a pioneering campaign has been launched to ensure the legacy of the conflict is remembered in the countdown to the 100th anniversary of its outbreak next summer.

Great War Dundee is reckoned to be the first community cooperative in Britain to start planning for the commemoration and members gathered yesterday at the Frigate Unicorn to explain their plans.

They also watched as children scattered poppy seeds on waste ground at the harbour close to the site of Scotland’s most important seaplane base during the war.

Chairman William Kenefick said: “During the First World War Dundee gave an astonishing 63% of its eligible men to the armed forces and had a casualty rate of 15% that was double that of Glasgow and one of the highest of any British city.”

He and his colleagues are keen to tap into the oral tradition of tales passed down from the veterans and learn about the “little treasures” of letters, medals and other artefacts they left behind.

The city council has joined the Great War Dundee partnership, along with Dundee University, the Unicorn Preservation Trust, The Black Watch regimental museum and the Tayside branch of the Western Front Association.

Publishers DC Thomson are also taking part. Spokesman Norman Watson said: “We now have a unique opportunity to allow present generations to trace the footsteps of these forebears through stories, documents, photographs, artefacts and memorabilia to ensure Tayside and Fife’s contribution to the Great War is never forgotten.”

Great War Dundee will host an open day in the Central Library on September 25 the anniversary of the Battle of Loos.