LAKE Cathie man Brett Dolsen has always had an interest in history.
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He will play a role in Foxtel's History Channel documentary 'Yesterday is History' which will air on April 12 at 6.30pm.
Throughout the hour-long episode Mr Dolsen will tell the story of his grandfather's journey into World War I after joining up under age as well as his father's struggle in the jungles of New Guinea during World War II.
"It just blew me away when I saw what they had done with some of the footage," he said.
Without giving too much away, Mr Dolsen said the way Sparke Films-produced documentary had recreated the war scenes was "incredible".
"Luke and Ian Sparke are known around Wauchope, but the way they recreated the scenes is incredible, right down to when my grandfather was changing railway signals," he said.
"My grandfather Frederick Oliver Dolsen had an involvement in the Battle of the Somme and my father Kenneth Thistleton Dolsen was a pilot in New Guinea."
He appears at various stages throughout the hour-long episode.
"They interviewed me and used a green background which I think they will overlay with different images of my grandfather and father," he said.
Mr Dolsen admitted he had always been interested in film making and history and when the documentary was filmed last year; it gave him a chance to combine the two.
"There was an information session where they were looking for extras and I couldn't help myself," he said. "The release is great because of the timing with Anzac Day."
He encouraged more people to take an interest in their family history.
"When dad was dying he said he wanted me to look into the history of the family and I highly recommend people do what I did because some of the things you find out are fascinating," he said.
"I wanted to have something to show my kids and grandkids rather than just have something that was verbally told to them. I just love history."
paul.jobber@fairfaxmedia.com.au
