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It’s dark, cramped and claustrophobic. A soldier sits and appears to be writing home about the horrors of trench warfare during World War I.

The trench offers a frightening glimpse of what life must have been like on the Western Front in the “war to end all wars”.

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While it could obviously never recapture the fear and the stench of death, The Trench, one of the main exhibits at the Glamorgan Wartime Heritage Centre, based at Barry Island railway station, certainly makes visitors think and reflect on the pity and horror of war.

The centre is run by volunteers who are keen that the sacrifices made during both world wars and other conflicts are not forgotten. They also want young people learn the lessons of the Great War and other conflicts.

The centre, which is preparing for its Wartime Weekend at the end of this month, concentrates on both world wars, but this year attention is concentrated on the centenary of World War I.

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Historians and others have contributed their stories and research to the various exhibitions at the centre which is a treasure trove of memorabilia and artefacts.

Given that the centre is in Barry, the crucial role played by the Merchant Navy is highlighted.

During the World War II, Barry lost more merchant seamen proportionately than any other port.

Ade Pitman, a founding member of the centre said: “We aim to research, preserve and promote the wartime history of Barry, and its impact on the town.

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“But we also want to engage with young people so that they can learn about wartime history, and learn from it.

“Ideally, we would like to develop into an interactive museum so that young people can learn from a hand-on approach to the subject.

“It is vital that we should remember and appreciate the sacrifices that were made. The Great War changed this country dramatically and forever. We should all learn from it.

“For instance, there are entire villages where women never got to marry because all the men were killed.”

The centre and its website feature several touching stories about Welsh families and their contributions to World War I.

One of the most famous events involving Welsh soldiers during the Great War was the attack on Mametz Wood during the second week of the Battle of the Somme, in July 1916.

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The attack claimed the lives of several Barry men of the 16th Battalion (Cardiff City) of the Welsh Regiment and formed the basis of a crime novel called “The Dead of Mametz” by South Wales headmaster Dr Jonathan Hicks.

Above The Trench is a section called Over There which reminds visitors that our armed forces are still engaged in peacekeeping duties in Afghanistan.

Mr Pitman said: “It’s a salutary reminder that as we mark the centenary of World War I we still have young men out in Afghanistan.”

Among the volunteers at the centre are young men from 372 Squadron Air Cadets , Barry.

Rhys Lewis, who at 14 is the same age as Reg Lewis, from Barry, who was in the Merchant Navy and was the youngest person to die in World War I, said: “It strikes home. The sacrifices that were made and what it must have been like during the war.”

Fellow cadet Sean Hodges, 18, said: “It is important to remember the wars and other conflicts. I think what we have learned is that we should fight to keep the peace rather than to defeat an enemy.”

Cadet Toby Boss, also 18, said: “A centre like this allows people of my age to learn about what happened and its impact.”

The Wartime Weekend will be held at the centre on August 30 and 31.

It will feature the Red Arrows, 1940s music, local historians and other attractions.