The First World War was all-encompassing. It changed the lives of every person in the country.

One hundred years on, for many of us, grainy photographs of brave men in the trenches are the defining images of the war.

But the battle was fought on a number of fronts, not just the land, and a new exhibition at the Historic Dockyard Chatham is set to show just that.

Called Valour, Loss and Sacrifice, the exhibition – which runs until November – couldn’t boast a more apt title.

Commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, the dockyard’s importance in Britain’s battle at sea is remembered on all walls of the exhibition room.

It is seen through the eyes of those who endured it and includes poignant paintings, pictures and poetry.

By the end of the war, more than 11,000 people were employed at the dockyard to help with the war effort and the exhibition throws those into the spotlight.

The Chatham division of the Royal Navy played a vital part in the war, something the exhibition aims to highlight. With materials drawn from national museums and including previously unseen items from the dockyard’s own collection, it produces some striking images.

The havoc wreaked by German submarines is shown, as is the development of technologies which were quickly improved to fight back against the enemy.

Alex Patterson is the exhibition’s organiser.

“The war at sea is often overlooked and attention very much focused on the Western Front and the trenches,” he said.

“So what we’ve done here is try to explore different aspects of the war that might not be at the front of people’s mind – for people to engage with and realise that the war was more than just trenches.”

“It’s an opportunity for the dockyard to really tell the story of the workers who were involved in the First World War.”

With so much history to cram in, the exhibition works on a simple set-up.

Visitors can browse through it in chronological order and relive the war through every step – with a timeline offering clear dates and noting key moments.

By the end of the conflict, more than 1,000 women worked at the dockyard, offering their services as the naval battle with Germany heated up.

Alex said: “We’ve got a unique chance to tell a story that no one else has. We hope we’ll stand out from the rest and encourage people to come and see something different.

“If people come away and learn something then, for me, that’s the success.”

The exhibition runs until the end of November at the dockyard’s No.1 Smithery: The Gallery.

Entrance to the exhibition is included in the ticket price for the Historic Dockyard which costs £18.50 for adults and £11.50 for children. Visit www.thedockyard.co.uk