WW2 exhibits will be on display

The exhibition is being opened in the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum as part of a 15-month programme of events entitled Their Past - Your Future.

It will use state-of-the-art technology to reveal case studies and images. Audio-visual materials relevant to Belfast will also be on display.

The lord mayor of Belfast will be among the guests at Thursday's launch.

The exhibition is designed to encourage visitors to explore what they can learn from the Second World War from their local landscape, veterans, family and friends, and to highlight its current significance.

The �10m Their Past - Your Future programme marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Personal letters

It is supported by the National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund.

The Imperial War Museum, based in London, seeks to provide for, and encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war.

It covers conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day.

The exhibits range from tanks and aircraft to photographs and personal letters; they include film and sound recordings, and some of the 20th century's best-known paintings.