Exhibition of the First World War The end of the war? opens in Wellington

The granddaughter of a Raratonga First World War soldier whose story is presented in a new exhibition says that she hopes to have been proud to see herself in action. souvenir

The experiences of nine New Zealanders who lived through the First World War. including paramedics, conscientious objectors, wounded soldiers and those killed in action – appear in a new audiovisual exhibition that opened today at Pukeahu National Memorial Park in Wellington

Frank Tararo
Provided / The Exhibition of the Great War

The soldier Frank Tararo was one of the 500 inhabitants of the Cook Islands to register as reinforcements for the Maori Battalion and was the only man on his island to survive.

His granddaughter, Tui Tararo, who lived with him until his 11 years in Rarotonga and Wellington, said that he was suffering constantly after losing his hand during the Battle of the Somme

"I hope my grandfather will feel very, very proud of It only learned the full extent of the involvement of his own family in the First World War – including l & # 39; The existence of other parents who served – when she "

" I have to think about my sons and my daughter, "she said.

" I would probably be the parent who would stand there saying, "No."

"The war is a terrible thing, but I hope that thanks to this exhibition, the next generation will be proud of the contribution of its tupuna."

Ms. Tararo said that he now had a lot more understanding of his grandfather after learning about his experiences of war.

they just had to get to work, and PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder] … he drank a lot, and that's probably because he was trying to alleviate the pain of his injury and all the rest. "

High-profile New Zealand conscientious objector Archibald Baxter was one of four New Zealand pacifists physically forced to go to the front

" It's impossible for me to serve in the army, I would be a thousand times rather put to death, "he added.

His great-grand-nephew Jack McDonald said that he always found Anzac Day" pretty difficult "

" It is always grated with me a little, and it's not because I do not think we should remember or commemorate World War I – I absolutely think we should be, to learn these lessons. "