Bristol-based animation studio Aardman, best known for its work on Wallace & Gromit, Creature Comforts and Morph, combined 2D illustrations with 3D animation techniques to create a hybrid effect that breathes life into the landscapes and dream-like, muted palettes of war artists from the era.

Darren Dubicki, director at Aardman, said: "We took an idea that was to create a powerful piece of imagery that is suggestive of the paintings from the era coming to life, and therefore a stunning piece for the Museum’s commemoration plans and new First World War Galleries."

Diane Lees, Director-General at the Imperial War Museum, added: "Flight of the Stories captures exactly what we were trying to convey – for while it is true that some of the people never made it back from the fighting front, their stories have, and it is our duty at IWM to ensure that they continue to be told."

The film will be screened online and in cinemas from today. The museum's new First World War galleries open on 19 July ahead of the centenary of Europe's bloody and calamitous five-year conflict on 4 August.

Aardman create heart-rending short film to mark the First World War centenary