“THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918” A NEW EXHIBITION AT BAYWORLD

Bayworld is proud to announce that the opening of their “The Great War 1914 – 1918” exhibition took place on 19 September 2014. The function was well organised and well attended and was opened by the Portfolio Chairperson for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the Hon. MPL Mr. V. Limba. 

This exhibition looks back on this catastrophic event in world history which saw the loss of millions of lives which included many South Africans.  It furthermore provides a vivid experience for visitors, highlighting some of the different and sometimes lesser-known aspects of the war. Visitors are informed why the South African involvement should never be underestimated, for it explains how and why the Union at the time became involved in German South West Africa (today Namibia) and the East Africa theatre of the war.

In this exhibition the involvement of the South African Native Labour Contingent (SANLC) is highlighted, as well as one of the worst war-time tragedies  - the loss of the SS Mendi on 14 February 1917 (from here visitors are encouraged to view the artefacts from this wreck on display in the shipwreck hall).

The Great War exhibition was designed to be two-fold in its presentation, for it gives the visitor a glimpse into the detail of certain aspects of the “War to end all Wars” on the text panels, while on the other hand, it serves to give the visitor a up-close and personal experience into the actual conditions of fighting in the trenches of Delville Wood in a life-size reconstruction of Trench Warfare. It furthermore offers an interaction component in the form of a wooden box-type trench-periscope that visitors are able to handle in order to view what soldiers saw through these very basic but effective devices in order to see over the bulwark without being shot by enemy snipers.

Another highlight of the exhibition is the model of a British Mark II tank. It is made to scale and the extraordinary details of it are astonishing. Also included in this cabinet is information on the development of the tank and the reason for it.

The Display Department at Bayworld were responsible for the crafting and modelling of all the weaponry, equipment and models depicted in the display area. The skills and creativity of the World War One planning team are unrivalled. The layout of the exhibition area was constructed in such a manner that the production must be seen (and experienced) as a informative and singular unit as such.

The Great War exhibition was funded by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture of the Eastern Cape and forms part of this year’s Heritage Month celebrations. Various activities will be organised around the theme of the First World War over the next four years, that is, until November 1918, representing the four year duration of the war. These programmes will focus on specific historic events that took place as the war progressed and will be showcased at the various museums, galleries and libraries in the Nelson Mandela Metropole over the period.