Courage And Valour
New Zealanders in the Italian Campaign

Extra Information - Episode One
Joining The Army And Training In New Zealand

 

Here is some extra info to accompany the first episode of Courage And Valour: New Zealanders In The Italian Campaign.

First of all here are a few photos of some of the interviewees during their training and service in New Zealand.

Above: Ted "Bluey" Homewood (left) with a friend

Above: Ted "Bluey" Homewood (right) and other soldiers training on an Auckland beach

Above: Ted "Bluey" Homewood (right) and other soldiers training in the 1st Auckland Battalion

Above: Bob O'Brien whilst Company Sgt Major in New Zealand

Above: Bob O'Brien's platoon marching down Queen Street, Auckland in 1942

Above: A photo from Tom McClennan's training days at Trentham
Below: The reverse side of the same photo with details

Above: A photo from Norm Harris's collection taken during his training

Above: A photo from Norm Harris's collection taken during his training

Above: A photo from Norm Harris's collection taken during his training

Above: A photo from Charlie Honeycombe's collection

 

Army Camps, Depots and Establishments in New Zealand

It's well known that New Zealand had the 2nd New Zealand Division overseas in the North Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean areas in WWII, fighting or training in Egypt, Greece, Crete, Libya, Tripoli, Tunisia, Syria, and Italy from 1940 to 1945.

It's also well known that the 3rd New Zealand Division was also in the Pacific theatre, either fighting in the jungles or holding garrison duties on islands in Fiji, New Caledonia, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Green Island and the Treasuries, etc.

However it's much less well remembered that New Zealand had three other Divisions in its Army. The 1st NZ Division, the 4th NZ Division and the 5th NZ Division. All were home based Divisions, living in camps across the country. And their purpose was to both train soldiers for later overseas deployment, and to act as a defence force in case of invasion. New Zealand was under attack from mid-1940 with the German Navy sinking several ships in NZ waters. The thought of invasion was high on most minds, as it was in the UK at the time. But the threat became all too serious when the Japanese entered the war in December 1941 and their forces swept down through the Pacific and East Asia taking countries one after the other. New Zealand was likely to be on their list of planned conquests.

So while the RNZAF and the Navy built up defences around New Zealand to try to stop an invasion force if it came, the Army also built up a strong defensive line across the nation.

As well as established Army camps, all sorts of places were taken over to become encampments and training areas. Many of New Zealand's great parks and most of its race courses and show grounds were turned into Army camps.

The following list has been compiled of sites where in WWII the Army set up units, for training and garrison duties, temporary or permanent camps, stores depots, defensive gun sites, and the likes. These don't include all the many pillboxes and gun emplacements around the country, as many of them were manned only by Home Guard which is not included here. Many of the sites below are mentioned in this episode.

It's likely some sites are missing fro this list, so if you know of others please let me know and I'll add them.

 Sites of Army Camps, Depots and Establishments in
World War Two New Zealand

Town/Suburb    
Name or Type 

Northland
Kaihohe                               
Ruatangata
Warkworth                           
Whangarei                           
Whangarei    

_
Sports Ground
_
Showgrounds
Kensington Park
Ruakaka Racecourse

Auckland
Albany                                 
Ardmore                             
Avondale                                  
Bombay (?)
Buckland                             
Campbells Bay                     
Clevedon                             
Cornwall Park                            
Ellerslie (Leger Enclosure)     
Epsom                              
Great Barrier Island               
Helvetia, Pukekohe    
Hillcrest                               
Mangere Crossing                      
Manurewa                        
Maraetai                              
Mechanics Bay                    
Motutapu Island                    
Mount Eden                           
Mount Victoria                      
Narrow Neck                  
North Head                           
Onehunga                            
Onehunga           
Panmure                                  
Papakura                
Parnell                
Parnell     
Point Chevalier       
Ponsonby 
Pukekohe Racecourse            
Pukekohe Township
Swanson                              
Sylvia Park                           
Te Atatu                               
Tuakau                                
Victoria Park                   
Waiheke Island            
Whangaparoa Peninsular
Whangarata, Tuakau   
_
Pill Box
Corrections Centre
Racecourse
??
Temporary Camp
Gun Emplacement
Racecourse
Park and Tea Kiosk, Road
Racecourse
Showgrounds &Alexander Park
Gun Emplacement
Armoured Training Grounds_____
Stores and Camp
Hill Road Transit Camp
Magazine Bay
Camp
Gun Emplacements
Central Command Bunker
Gun Emplacement
Military Establishment
Gun Emplacement
Waikaraka Park
Gloucester Park
?
Mobilisation Camp
Carlaw Park
Parnell Park
Chamberlain Park
Western Park
Racecourse
Temporary Exercise Camp
Temporary Exercise Camp
Redwood Park
Main Stores
Anti-Aircraft Battery
Temporary Exercise Camp
Camp
Stony Batter Defences
Emplacements and Pillboxes
Temporary Exercise Camp
Waikato
Cambridge                           
Claudelands                         
Hopuhopu     
Matamata                            
Morrinsville     
Tamahere    
Te Aroha                              
Te Awamutu  
Te Rapa  

_
Racecourse
Showgrounds
Mobilisation Camp
Racecourse
Racecourse
Harvest Camp
Racecourse
?
Racecourse

Bay of Plenty
Rotorua   
Tauranga 
_
Arawa Park
Racecourse
Taranaki
New Plymouth                      
Waverley 
_
Racecourse
_
Central North Island
Ohakune
Waiouru 
_
_
Military Establishment

Manawatu-Wanganui
Ashurst                                
Dannevirke   
Foxton    
Hokowhitu  
Linton                                  
Palmerston North
Palmerston North    
Wanganui                   
Wanganui   


Racecourse
Showgrounds
Racecourse
Tented Camp
Military Establishment
Awapuni Racecourse
Showgrounds
Spriggens Park
Racecourse
Central Hawkes Bay
Waikpukurau   
_
Racecourse
Wairarapa
Featherstone                       
Masterton     
Tauherenikau 
_
POW Camp
Solway Showgrounds
Racecourse
Wellington
Haywards      
Hutt Park           
Johnsonville                          
Karori            
Mirimar Peninsular    
Moonshine         
Mount Cook        
Mount Victoria    
Ngaio  (Trelissick Park)
Opau Bay    
Paekakariki
Point Gordon      
Porirua            
Seatoun              
Strathmore           
Trentham  
_
Training area
Racecourse
?
Wrights Hill Fortress
Fort Ballance
Training Area
Dominion Museum Combined HQ
Anti-Aircraft Emplacements
Kaiwarra Magazine
Fort Opau
Paekakariki Camp
Fort Buckley
Belmont Magazine
Fort Dorset
Palmers Head Fortress
Racecourse
Marlborough
Picton                             
Woodbourne            
Tuamarina
_
Foreshore Defences
The Delta Camps
Artillery Camp
Canterbury
Addington          
Burnham     
Godley Head                  
King Edward Barracks          
Leeston           
Springston            
Tai Tapu                           
Timaru             
Waimate North   
_
Racecourse
Military Establishment
Gun Emplacements
Military Establishments
A&P Showgrounds
Domain
Domain
Washdyke Racecourse
Showgrounds

Dunedin
Forbury Park     
Wingatui  

_
Racecourse
Racecourse
 

 

                           

 

 

_

 

 

 

 

Contact The Webmaster - Dave Homewood
All Contents Copyright 2010