The experiences of local war veterans will be highlighted in the Maritime Museum's upcoming exhibition, "Bermuda's Defence Heritage" - the largest ever showcased on the Island.

The exhibition, which will focus on Bermuda's military history, will open in May 2002 at the Commissioner's House and will coincide with Heritage Month festivities.

And the Museum is appealing to the community for assistance with images, artefacts, and information to be used for the exhibition and permanent record.

"Now is the time to focus on local men and women who served and volunteered during the First and Second World Wars," said curator Charlotte Andrews.

"Their contributions to the war effort were invaluable and we must ensure they are not forgotten.

"We hope to inspire Bermudian war vets and their families to share with us what remains so the story we present and preserve can be more complete."

The Museum is presently conducting interviews with some of the surviving veterans, and extracts from this audio-visual archive will feature in the exhibition.

Four rooms will be used to highlight the history of Bermuda's 90-odd forts, cannons, and major guns.

One of the main rooms will be used for an exhibition on Bermudian war veterans, with an emphasis on those who served in the Second World War.

Another room will be for the Bermuda Regiment and its predecessors such as the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers.

And one room focuses on Bermudian women who served overseas.

The final room will showcase the censorship activity in Hamilton and the archaeology of the forts.

"Many people are helping with this major display including a number of war vets, former members of the BMA and the like, and groups such as the War Veterans' Association are also involved," said Museum director Edward Harris.

"A number of major donors have risen to the occasion such as David Barber, Sir Richard Gorham, Mrs. Betty Leighton and the Bermuda Electric Light Company."

"With the opening of Commissioner's House, the Museum has had a lot of exhibit space made available to it.

"As a result and as part of the policy of its Board of Trustees, now led by chairman Ian Davidson, we have been expanding the scope of our exhibitions to include sectors of the community not otherwise represented in museums in Bermuda," said Dr. Harris.

"Thus we have a major exhibition on slavery and Bermudians with African ancestry; another concentrates on Bermudians with Portuguese antecedents.

"The people who gave much to the military during the wars will now be represented, which will be good as many are still with us," he added.

Contact curator Charlotte Andrews at 234-1333 or curatorbmmibl.bm if you are able to assist the Museum with this project.