A filmmaker is looking for support to help bring a feature-length documentary about of one of the TT’s pioneers to screens.

Sarah Williams’s great grandfather Cyril raced at the event in 1913 and 1914 before winning the Junior race in 1920.

The latter year marked Cyril’s return to the Mountain Course after he signed up with his AJS team-mates to serve as despatch riders in World War One, remarkably taking their bikes to the frontline in France with them.

‘Across The Line’ will be narrated by television presenter, adventurer and motorbike enthusiast Charley Boorman.

The documentary will profile Cyril and the others whose skill, bravery and fortitude on track prepared them for the unexpected mission in WWI.

Cyril rode for his local team, Wolverhampton-based motorcycle company AJS, and the film will also shed light on the engineering ingenuity of principal Harry Stevens.

Sarah didn’t find out about her great grandfather’s heroics until she was in her teens.

She explained: ‘My great grandfather’s picture, seated on his motorcycle at the TT, hung over the mantlepiece at home as far back as I can remember and there was a trophy and a rosebowl in the house with his name on (currently on display in the Manx Museum).

‘Though Cyril’s wife Nora, who lived until I was seven, would say about him “oh he was always off on his bike!”, I never really asked about him until my dad gave me a copy of S.J Mills’s book ‘A.J.S of Wolverhampton’ for my 15th birthday.

‘I became curious as I read about what a great (and rather obsessive) engineer he was and how determined he was to win a TT.

‘Fast forward to 2011 and I was doing a masters degree in screenwriting and decided I wanted to tell Cyril’s story.

‘My research lead me to learn about the role of despatch riders in WWI and how so many of them had been racers.

‘They had a particularly dangerous job delivering messages and were often targeted by snipers.

‘They often had to make journeys during the night and to avoid being seen, this meant riding with no lights on.

‘Cyril was a corporal at first, delivering messages as a solo rider.

‘Later he was also a machine gunner, riding in the sidecar keeping an eye out for the enemy. He was involved in the battle of Neuve Chappelle and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for extraordinary bravery under fire.

‘The tales of daredevil antics and extraordinary missions were numerous and it was clear that my great grandfather and his fellow despatch riders had to have a particularly unique mindset. The kind it takes to race the TT.’

Sarah added: ‘Through interviews and archive footage, I wish to shine a light on the rich history of the TT, the psychology of racing drivers/motorcyclists and the mostly untold part of war history where a handful of forgotten racing legends saved thousands of lives.

‘We are crowdfunding, and though it would be fantastic if anybody would be interested in financially supporting/investing, I primarily want to widen the circle of those who know about what we’re doing and maybe able to contribute to my research with stories or expertise.

‘The local community In Wolverhampton has already been a rich source of information and encouragement to me and their excitement has really helped fuel the project.’

You can follow the project’s progress on Facebook and Instagram, by searching Across The Line Film or @across_the_line_film respectively.

Those wishing to donate to the documentary’s Kickstarter page can do so at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/acrosstheline/across-the-line-war-heroes-of-the-tt-with-charley-boorman