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

_