Seventy-five years ago, New Zealand played a pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany in a land battle for the first time, changing the outcome of World War II.
Today, the explosive remains from that battle are still being used in conflict, by the so-called Islamic State.
And if you're familiar with Kiwi Taika Waititi's cult film Boy, you'll unwittingly know this battle's name already - El Alamein.
The engagement in North Africa, known as the Second Battle of El Alamein, occurred in the deserts of Egypt in 1942, pitting the Axis forces of Nazi Germany and Italy against Britain and its allies, which included New Zealand.
"If the British had lost that battle, it would have set back the war effort considerably, there was already considerable doubt about whether the Allies could actually beat a German army in the field," Military historian Glyn Harper told Newshub.
The New Zealanders were an elite fighting force within the British Army and Professor Harper says the Germans were especially wary of them.
"The 2nd New Zealand Division was identified by the Germans as the best formation within the British Eighth Army."
German commander Erwin Rommel was even quoted as saying: "If I had to take hell, I would use the Australians to take it and the New Zealanders to hold it.
"If I'd had one division of Māori, I would have taken the canal in a week. If I'd had three, I'd have taken Baghdad."
The Kiwis played a leading role in the battle when it was launched in late October, but received heavy casualties, as the attack stalled.
"The New Zealanders certainly suffered and that was really down to scraping the bottom of the barrel here, because they received no reinforcements at all in 1942," says Professor Harper.
"On the opening night of the operation - the 23rd of October - they've got roundabout 3000-4000 New Zealand infantry making the attack and they suffer just on 800 casualties, so they cannot sustain that and hence that was one of the reasons they were withdrawn."
The battle was now in the balance and British commander Bernard Montgomery essentially gave control of all his remaining British forces over to New Zealand command for the next major assault on November 2 - Operation Supercharge.
"It is the New Zealand staff that actually direct that attack, although they're primarily using British assets to do it, including the 9th Armoured Brigade and a couple of British infantry brigades as well, so they're directing the attack and that leads to the final breakthrough."
But Professor Harper says there was still one New Zealand unit intact - the 28th Māori Battalion.
"They do have a critical role in Operation Supercharge. In fact, they're the only New Zealand infantry battalion that's used and they carry out an assault on one the ridges in the northern sector of the attack.
"They secure and hold it, although they're left isolated for almost two days and they suffer quite heavy casualties as a result."
Professor Harper's new book The Battle for North Africa: El Alamein and the Turning Point for World War II examines the battle from all sides and not just from the New Zealand point of view.
"I give due-credit to the Australians, New Zealanders, the 9th Armoured Brigade and also to the British infantry as well, but the ones that are often missed out - and I want to give them due credit in my book - are the actions of the airmen."
Professor Harper says the close coordination between ground and air operations was vital, as was the work of the engineers.
"The engineers' role in El Alamein was absolutely critical, as they were actually fighting in a large, massive mine-field and without engineers to clear a path, there was no way that the infantry could succeed."
The United Nations estimates there are still about 20 million mines in the western desert of Egypt from the war, and that more than 8000 people have been accidentally killed or injured by them.
The Egyptian government has even warned the UN that thousands of mines are being dug up by the so-called Islamic State each year and that the explosives are being used in bombs.
Professor Harper believes another reason why the New Zealanders were successful at El Alamein was that its commanders, and especially Gallipoli veteran Bernard Freyberg, had learned key lessons from their experience in the First World War.
"The New Zealanders on the night of October 23 are the only infantry to use a creeping barrage, which is actually a very well-developed technique from the First World War and provides infantry with some protection, as they advance forward.
"They also carry out a much larger version of that creeping barrage for Operation Supercharge.
"Developing those techniques from the First World War and applying them on the Second World War battlefield - it's the combined arms approach using armour [tanks], infantry, air support and artillery combined - that actually produces the result on the battlefield."
The Kiwis paid a high price for their success, however, with the El Alamein War Cemetery containing the graves of 1064 New Zealanders.
Newshub.
