By Annabelle Tukia
A World War II trench, a poppy from Flanders field and stories of courage and tragedy make up a war exhibition that opened today in Riverton.
It's a big project for the small Southland town, which aims to bring to life an important time in its history.
The battle for Sidi Rezegh in Libya was one of the bloodiest for Kiwi troops during the war. Eight hundred and eighty men lost their lives at the hands of Rommel's Afrika Korps in just over a month.
It's sacrifices like this that has prompted Riverton man Dave Asher to put together a museum exhibition he hopes will tell the stories of New Zealand's involvement in WW1 and WWII in a lifelike way.
"The idea of bringing history alive, give people some idea what a trench looks like how people lived in the trenches in the mud and all that sort of stuff," he says.
The exhibition has been 15 months in the planning and includes two lifelike European-made mannequins.
The small Southland town of Riverton lost 14 men at Passchendale. Mr Asher says this is a chance for today's generation to remember.
"I hope that they're emotionally affected, they realise the sacrifice that people have made and some of the stories sort of grab them."
Pat Smith grew up in Riverton and returned from Christchurch especially to see the exhibition. Her brother Clem, an air force navigator, died in WWII.
She says it was sad seeing the displays because it brought back a lot of memories, but believes it's an important part of our history that needs to be remembered.
"I've had said to me, talking about Clem recently, 'what a waste of life,'" she says. "Well I don't want Clem's life to be a waste."
It's a life the public will also get to celebrate and commemorate, when the exhibition opens today.
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