History buffs bring WWI to life in Elliston

Hundreds of sandbags and countless hours of back-breaking labour have enabled two history enthusiasts on Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula to recreate an element of daily life for soldiers in the Great War.

Neal Tucker and his nephew Daniel recreated a trench in Elliston, to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.

The Tuckers quickly found that just preparing for trench warfare was gruelling work.

"It's more than I anticipated," Neal Tucker said. "Couple sandbags — no problem. Twenty, 30, 50? It takes a toll."

Modelled on design from 1916

The trench in Elliston is modelled on a design from 1916, albeit with modifications to handle pressure-treated lumber, which was not available a century ago.

The Tuckers hope their trench becomes an attraction for visitors to Elliston, which is already known for puffins, icebergs, coastal scenery and the newly opened Home From The Sea sealers' memorial.

Neal Tucker said he hopes future visitors glean a sense of what soldiers endured in battle.

"We read about it in books, we hear about it in movies, but just to go through here and just get an idea, just to walk along here and see what it must've been like, gives a person some small idea of what it was like to be in a trench,” he said.