Hull produced four battalions for the war

In response to Kitchener's famous call for a million volunteers, local communities raised entire battalions for the service on the Western Front.

The story of the Accrington Pals, where the young men of the Lancashire town were wiped out on the battlefield in 1916, is perhaps the best known "pals" tale.

But the men of Hull volunteered in such great numbers that they formed the "Hull Sportsmen's Battalion", "Hull Commercials' Battalion", "Hull Tradesmen's Battalion" and "T'Others."

The men from Humberside who volunteered for the BBC project were kitted out in exact replicas of First World War uniform and equipment.

Cold water

They were subjected to dawn raids, simulated shelling, water rationing, latrine duty, sleep deprivation and a large amount of digging.

They had to shave in cold water, and have their feet inspected to make sure they had not caught "trench foot".

A spokesman for the Imperial War Museum said: "I am sure the television series will be very popular, and I think people will love to see some of the features they have already seen on their screens.

The series recreates living conditions in 1916

"The strange smells, original mementoes, and a few fake rats lurking in the mud make this one of our best ever exhibitions."

Also on display are items of uniform and other mementoes of the 10th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, whose story is told in the series The Trench.

These include archival film footage, original letters and diaries describing conditions, Army biscuits, barbed wire, trench lavatory paper, a leather glove shrunk in a gas attack and a bullet-scarred notebook.

Visitors to the new trench will be able to stand on a firestep, feel the weight of equipment a soldier had to carry, inspect an officers' dugout and sniff safe levels of the gases which killed or disabled many men.