27 June 2007
An exhibition designed by the New Zealand Army Memorial Museum leaves New Zealand today to be part of the Flanders 90th commemorations in Belgium in mid July.
The exhibition ‘A Descent into Hell – The New Zealand Division at Passchendaele’ will be opened by the Vice Chief of Defence Force, Air Vice Marshal David Bamfield on Friday 13 July in Belgium.
Army Museum Curator Windsor Jones noted, “The exhibition recalls the bloody and tragic events of the 4 and 12 October 1917 – events that unfortunately have been placed behind the heroics of the Gallipoli campaign, becoming until recently, a largely untold story. We hope this exhibition will raise the awareness of New Zealand’s role in these two events.”
‘A Descent into Hell’ will be housed at the Old Cheese Dairy, part of which is a working dairy museum. This situated between Gravenstafel and Bellevue, an area that has particular significance for New Zealanders.
The exhibition focuses on the New Zealanders in the two attacks. The successful attack on 4 October where the British captured Gravenstafel Spur was followed by disaster on 12 October which became known as the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).
On the 12th of October more than 800 New Zealanders were killed and over 2000 wounded in one morning, which remains the bloodiest single day in New Zealand history.
Photographs and artefacts will be used to explain how the New Zealand Division came to be at Ypres and the Division’s part in the Battle of Passchendaele is examined. It looks at the personal stories of eight New Zealand soldiers who were killed or wounded in the battle and examines the cost to New Zealand of the battle and its legacy of grief and remembrance.
The ‘Descent into Hell' exhibition was originally designed in 2003 for the Army Museum’s 25th anniversary and has been redesigned for use in Belgium.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 14 July, together with other exhibitions from Belgium, Canada and the United Kingdom.
ENDS
Photo Caption: One of the panels in the display showing what life in the trenches was like for the New Zealand soldiers.
For further information and photographs of the panels please contact Ally Clelland, Defence Public Relations 04 496 0273 or 021 569 130