Erected in 1947 and located in the pool's entrance lobby, the Roll of Honour carries the names of nine young men, all members of the Canberra Amateur Swimming Club, who went off to the war and did not come back.

Friends of Manuka Pool president Dr Clive Hamilton said the names were "barely legible today".

"The brass plaque that commemorates their sacrifice is now sadly neglected and we need the community's help to restore it," he said.

Restoration of the honour roll is part of the Friends of Manuka Pool's ambitious project to collect information, stories and photos of the nine men whose ages ranged from 18 to 25. "We want to hear from anyone who might help us learn more about these young men," Dr. Hamilton said.

"Many of the young men who churned up the laps of 'The Swimming Pool' as it was known then went off to the war in 1939. Sadly, nine of them never made it back."

One of the men was Lindsay Knowles, the brother of 94-year-old Merv Knowles who is still a regular swimmer at the pool.

The Manuka Pool, meanwhile, closes at 7pm on Sunday for the season, with manager Bryan Pasfieldsaying the hot summer had more than 35,000 people going through the gates, the highest number for at least five years.

Manuka Pool's long and rich social history is embedded in Canberra's collective memory, Dr. Hamilton said.

Its first intersection with Australia's armed forces took place on Christmas Day 1930, a month before its official opening on Australia Day, January 26, 1931, when a one-legged army veteran, Thomas Coffey, scaled the fence to be first in the pool.

In the 1930s the pool was the home of Canberra Amateur Swimming Club and quickly became the social and sporting heart of the young capital. Carnivals and regular Wednesday evening meetings would attract 500 spectators, with standing room only. Seats were installed later. The Club drew members from all social strata, walking up from The Causeway and down from Mugga Way.

The legendary Andrew "Boy" Charlton, who won the Gold Medal in the 1500 metres event at the 1924 Olympics, trained at the pool after he moved to Canberra in 1934 to open a pharmacy business.

"We would like the restoration of the Roll of Honour to take place during the 2016/17 summer season and make it an event worth celebrating," Dr. Hamilton said. "Manuka Pool hosts more than 35,000 visitors every season and we believe they would want us to bring its history back to life.

The names and military units of the nine remembered on the plaque are:

Lance Corporal Victor Frank Browning, 19 Australian Infantry Training Battalion (died age 18)

Lieutenant Percival Webster Clemens, 2/30 Australian Infantry Battalion (22)

Lieutenant Edward Augustus Dullard, 3 Australian Infantry Battalion (25)

Lieutenant Wallace Drummond Hall, 2/2 Australian Infantry Battalion (25)

Flying Officer Ian Ross Ingram, 225 Squadron (22)

Flight Lieutenant Lindsay Eric Shaw Knowles, 3 Squadron (24)

Sergeant Eric Anton Peterson, 453 Squadron (24)

Private Ian Thomas Lawler Ray, 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion (19)

Warrant Officer Harold Elsdon Thorpe, 110 Squadron (24)

Contact: Clive Hamilton, President of Friends of Manuka Pool, 0413 993 223