The Power of Ten: An exclusive look at our VC heroes

Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith will host an unprecedented recreation of the extraordinary battles that earned 10 men the Victoria Cross Medal for bravery at Gallipoli.

To recreate these gripping stories an exact replica of the Lone Pine trenches was mapped and dug with the help of war historian Dr Peter Pederson.

The production, to air on Sunday Night this week, is an unprecedented examination of the acts of extreme bravery that changed the face of the Gallipoli campaign.

"For our nation this is Sacred Ground. The site of the first battle ever to involve our ANZAC soldiers. I wanted to understand what it was really like," Roberts-Smith said.

"It was a campaign fought on nothing but courage and determination. It was a battle that made heroes of many but 10 stand out.

"For me, this is a personal mission to find out where they fought and what led to them being awarded the Victoria Cross."

The stories focus on men who used his skills and instincts to win battles and save their mates, like Leonard Keysor, a cricketer who used his skill with the ball to catch live bombs for 48-hours straight.

Also among them is William Dunstan, a lovesick young soldier who was told the only way to get a mother's blessing to marry her daughter was to come back with a medal.

"We've recreated their world in precise detail so we can fully understand their stories," says Roberts-Smith.

"It's one of the ways we've been able to get a real understanding of what they experienced in the heat of battle and what drove them to carry out acts of incredible bravery."

Roberts-Smith also tracks down the relatives of each of the Gallipoli VC recipients to show how these stories have stood the test of time.

"These are my heroes. They are my inspiration and it's their stories that I want to share with Australia."

Sunday Night: The Power of Ten airs Sunday April 12 and 19 at 8.30pm.