DOCSLIB.ORG

The New Zealand Soldier in World War II

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The New Zealand Soldier in World War II Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. lHE N[W ZEALAND SOLDIER IN WORLD WAR 11: ~YTH Mm nr fl[ 1 TY A thes i s presented in partial fulfilme~t of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University John Reginald Mcleod 1 980 ·~t . .t_ R ll ABSTRACT Th e New Zua l and soldier has ga i ned a r eputation for be i ng an outstanding sol dier . Th e p roli fi c New Zea l a nd invol vement i n the nume r ous Wdrs of this century have allowed him to deve l op and consolidate this reputdtion . Wo rld Wdr I I was to add further lustre t o this reputulio11 , The que •,ti.011 th.it this pone c; i!; whethe r Lhe r ep u tcJtio11 is justified - how much is ~yth and how much is reality? In the early st~~es of World w~r II Lho New Zealander fai l ed to live up to his ~yLhica l reputation . The ba l es o f Greece and Crete , in pa r ticular , showed the totol l y unprofessiona l nature o f the New Zealand Army . Much of the weaknes s es shown in these battles were caused by i nadequate preparation . The Army had been on e o f t he principa l victims of the retrenchment policies of success i ve governme nts betwe en the w~ r s . I n 9J9 the rJew lealar:d Arm y \•Jas i~1 no state to f ight a wa r, The Reqular ror ce numbered no more than 500 and of the 10 , 000 Territor ia l s only twenty perce nt cou l d have been cons i de r ed act i ve. The Army was deficient not only in t r ained m<lnpowe r but a l so in mode r n e quipment . I t was t he refo r e a r ac e against time to p r epare the New Zea l and Division f or combat . Though the earl y years o f t he wa r de mo nstra t ed jus t how ina dequate t he p r eparations had been , the quality of t he Ne w Ze a land soldier a nd t he New Zea l and Division i nc reased . This wa s d ue to experience, improved l ogistics , and more c ompe ten t leadership. Leaders hip was perhaps the major problem f o r t he New Zeala nd Div i sion in i ts early years . Th e fail ur e of l eade r ship i s clearly illustrated by the los s of Ma leme ae r od rome arid consequentl y Crete . The s ki lls requir ed for peacetime p romotion as usual di f fere d f rom thos e n eede d for leaders hi p in war. As the wa r pr ogre ssed promoti on became ba sed on ability a nd officers lacking in leadership skill s were gradually replaced. The Ne w Zealand Di vision had achieved a high standard by the end of the North African campaign but its standard was not at variance with iii othe r Divis ions with s imil ar experiences . Ba t t l e s suc h as Min qar Qairn, El Alamein , Tebaga Ga p and Ta krouna were examples o f the Di v isi on profiting from its expe rienc es , Howeve r, t here were still problems . At Tak r ouna the Ne w Zealande r s were ab l e to bring a ll the i r e xperie nc e to bear, but the need f or new tac t i cs i n this un usual attack found the New Zea l ande r s a l ittle l acking, and an o t her l ess on was l ear nt . The New Zealand soldier is not physical l y or menta l l y superior ta any other soldier , The Division did ha ve a dvantages such as Freyberg ' s Charter arid the r~.J tionul nature of the Division and this helped t h e solcJiurs <.rnd the Divisior, iri their ba ttles . It/hat cour1ts though , for f i g h t i rHJ il t· i l i ty i " tr n i '' i 11 q , e-< r r r i c n cc , 1 1' ,] de r r. h i p ;rn d 1 a CJ i c; t i r: 'J • 1 n all armies ard all Divisions these fluct~ate and correspondingl y so does lhs f ighting ability of thAt Division . The myth ~f the New Zealand sol dier has deve l oped as New Zealanders search for~ national i dentity. The myt h h ~s grow~ with New Ze2land na t ionalism t o a stage where Ne w Zealanders are unab le to d isti~guis h myth f rom rB;:ility . TABLE OF CONTENTS ABS TRAC T ii AB8R[VIATI0~5 Vll PREFA CE ix CHAP TER 1 INTRODUCTION The Myth of the Ne w Zea l and Sol dier 3 The Liter ature 12 Mi l itary Histor y 16 CHAP TC R 2 PRELUDE TO BATTLE [ nlistrnent 24 Composition of 2NZE F 28 Training 3 13 rH11rrrn J lflf r·rn ·,r 'l'' f lrnJ : r Lf\Tf\MrnJ f\NO rIN!O'"· GO!lr;[ I 1 CHAPTER 4 LEADERSH IP : MALEME 68 The Malerne Se ctor 74 The Attack 77 CHAPTER 5 THC tif1'•D,'J[T : GALATAS 91 CHAPTER 6 TH E QUICK ATTACK : PT . 175 104 CHAPTER 7 THE KILLING INS TI NC T: MI NQAR QA IM 124 CHAP TE R 8 TA KROUNA 14 2 CHAPT ER 9 CONCLUS IO N 160 APPE NDI CES 170 BIBL IOGR APHY 177 LI ST Or FIGLJ R[S AND TABLES Figures 1. Syllabus of Training for 20 Battalion 42 2 , Greece 3, 21 Battalion ' s Pos itions Platarnon 11-1 6 Apri l 1941 4. Pinios Gorge - Dispositions 17-1 6 April 1941 61 5 . Crete 69 6 . 5 Brigade Dispositions 19 May 1941 69 7. German La ndings at Maleme 20 Ma y 1941 75 8 . Male~e : 0130 hours 21 May 75 9 , Malem e Counterattack 2 1-22 May 67 1 0. Galatas - Noon 25 May 1941 9 3 11. [ounteratlack at Galnta s 25 M1y 93 a 1 2 . The Ba yonet Technique 100 1 ~ ',.J # 1 OE! 14 . D Coy 25 Bn Attuck on Pt.175 ?] ~cverber 1941 1 1 3 1 5 . B Coy 25 f"3n Attack :i:1 PL . 17':. 1 1 1 1 s. A Coy 25 /1;; : Opercition~·; 11 U0 - 1 j'J[) hmir·> 1 1 J 17. C & D C~v~ ?5 En Overrun by T,rk~ : Afrrrnoo~ 23 Nove~ber 194 1 117 1 8 . 24 & 25 E r•s : Late Afternoor1 23 ~·lo·,·e:n~er 194 1 1 17 1 9 . 2 1 Pa.-izer Div , ' :3 Encirc l ement of NZ Di·J . at Min qar Qaim 27 June 1942 1 27 2 [] . Withdrawal of rU Div . from Minqar Qoim on the 127 Night 27/28 June 2 1. The Withdrawa l of 4 N, Z. Infantry Brigade at Minqar Qaim, J un e 27/28 , 1942 1 32 22 . Plan Vulcan Issued 12 April 1943 144 23. Takrouna 147 24 . NZ Div, Attac k on Takrouna 1 5 3 Tables I. Regular Officers, NCOs, and Other Ranks in the First Three Echelons 29 I I. Rank Distribution of Staff Corps Officers in 2NZEF 30 I I I. Occupationa l Status Ranking for Officers of First Three Echelons of 2NZEF 32. Tables (C ontd ,) IV . Occupational Status Ranking for Officers of First Th ree Echelons of 2NZEF ( totals) 33 V. Rank Structure of Selected Occupations of Personnel from the First Three Echelons 34 VI. Occupational Groupings for Co mmissions 2 Division 1941 - 5 37 vii ABBREVIA TID NS A. Te xt Abb reviations Th e abbreviations used in this thesis are primarily those used by the War Hi story Branch . l have used as a guide t he g lossary in W.G . McC lymont . To Greece , pp . 515-17 though the use of the abbreviations varied throug hout the Official Histories . Th e specifically military abbreviations have only be':!n used in ca~,e !:.; tudicci , excepting , of course , tho ~; e in common usage . Unit titles such a s plutoon , compJny , bdttalion , and brigade , have been abbreviated in the case studies except when referred to in general terms . Tht! ':i huvc be~r1 .JbbrL~vi .Jled if it is obviuu'.3 lhcy refr; r to a speci fi c unit or uni.t~- even though it ir; nol prefixed by c1 lE:l.t.er or number . One modifi_c,·it i.or1 has bee, adopted . When referring to a specific company of battalion in a battle in ~hi ch more than one battalion is involved, I have referred to it as company/b1ttalion to av0id any confusion , e . g . D/24 refers to D Company of 24 Bat+.alior . AA Anti- aircraft AA &. QMG Assistant 1\dj:Jtant and Quartermaster- Gene ral AG RA Army Group Royal Artillery Ar::J c,_· Army Service Corps AV.JOL Absent Without Leave bde brigade bn batta l ion bty batter y CGS Chief of General Staff cm centimetre CMS Company Sergeant- Major co Commanding Officer comd comman de r coy company CRA Commander Ro ya l Artillery CRE Commander Ro yal Engineers cwt hundredv1e ight Div Division GDC General Officer Commanding G50 General Staff Officer FOO Forward Observation Officer HQ Headquarters viii 2 i/c second-in- comman d rn I ntel l igence Officer I tank I n fa ntr y tank LOB Left Out o f Battle L/Sgt Lance Sergea r.t L ~.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Warriors Walk Heritage Trail Wellington City Council
    crematoriumchapel RANCE COLUMBARIUM WALL ROSEHAUGH AVENUE SE AFORTH TERRACE Wellington City Council Introduction Karori Cemetery Servicemen’s Section Karori Serviceman’s Cemetery was established in 1916 by the Wellington City Council, the fi rst and largest such cemetery to be established in New Zealand. Other local councils followed suit, setting aside specifi c areas so that each of the dead would be commemorated individually, the memorial would be permanent and uniform, and there would be no distinction made on the basis of military or civil rank, race or creed. Unlike other countries, interment is not restricted to those who died on active service but is open to all war veterans. First contingent leaving Karori for the South African War in 1899. (ATL F-0915-1/4-MNZ) 1 wellington’s warriors walk heritage trail Wellington City Council The Impact of Wars on New Zealand New Zealanders Killed in Action The fi rst major external confl ict in which New Zealand was South African War 1899–1902 230 involved was the South African War, when New Zealand forces World War I 1914–1918 18,166 fought alongside British troops in South Africa between 1899 and 1902. World War II 1939–1945 11,625 In the fi rst decades of the 20th century, the majority of New Zealanders Died in Operational New Zealand’s population of about one million was of British descent. They identifi ed themselves as Britons and spoke of Services Britain as the ‘Motherland’ or ‘Home’. Korean War 1950–1953 43 New Zealand sent an expeditionary force to the aid of the Malaya/Malaysia 1948–1966 20 ‘Mother Country’ at the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Battle Weariness and the 2Nd New Zealand Division During the Italian Campaign, 1943-45
    ‘As a matter of fact I’ve just about had enough’;1 Battle weariness and the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Italian Campaign, 1943-45. A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University New Zealand. Ian Clive Appleton 2015 1 Unknown private, 24 Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Division. Censorship summaries, DA 508/2 - DA 508/3, (ANZ), Censorship Report No 6/45, 4 Feb to 10 Feb 45, part 2, p.1. Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Abstract By the time that the 2nd New Zealand Division reached Italy in late 1943, many of the soldiers within it had been overseas since early 1941. Most had fought across North Africa during 1942/43 – some had even seen combat earlier, in Greece and Crete in 1941. The strain of combat was beginning to show, a fact recognised by the division’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg. Freyberg used the term ‘battle weary’ to describe both the division and the men within it on a number of occasions throughout 1944, suggesting at one stage the New Zealanders be withdrawn from operations completely. This study examines key factors that drove battle weariness within the division: issues around manpower, the operational difficulties faced by the division in Italy, the skill and tenacity of their German opponent, and the realities of modern combat.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Zealand Army Officer Corps, 1909-1945
    1 A New Zealand Style of Military Leadership? Battalion and Regimental Combat Officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces of the First and Second World Wars A thesis provided in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Wayne Stack 2014 2 Abstract This thesis examines the origins, selection process, training, promotion and general performance, at battalion and regimental level, of combat officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces of the First and Second World Wars. These were easily the greatest armed conflicts in the country’s history. Through a prosopographical analysis of data obtained from personnel records and established databases, along with evidence from diaries, letters, biographies and interviews, comparisons are made not only between the experiences of those New Zealand officers who served in the Great War and those who served in the Second World War, but also with the officers of other British Empire forces. During both wars New Zealand soldiers were generally led by competent and capable combat officers at all levels of command, from leading a platoon or troop through to command of a whole battalion or regiment. What makes this so remarkable was that the majority of these officers were citizen-soldiers who had mostly volunteered or had been conscripted to serve overseas. With only limited training before embarking for war, most of them became efficient and effective combat leaders through experiencing battle. Not all reached the required standard and those who did not were replaced to ensure a high level of performance was maintained within the combat units.
    [Show full text]
  • Fulbright New Zealand 60Th Anniversary, 1948-2008
    Fulbright New Zealand 60th Anniversary, 1948-2008 LEFT: 2007 Fulbright US Graduate Student Shaw Gargis encounters a giant kiwi at Wellington Zoo; CENTRE: 2007 American Fulbright grantees and their families at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt during their orientation programme; RIGHT: 2007 Fulbright New Zealand Graduate Student Sarah Hill on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Fulbright New Zealand The Fulbright Programme was an initiative of US Senator J. William Fulbright to promote international understanding through educational and cultural exchanges between the US and other countries. He believed the programme could play an important role in building a lasting world peace in the aftermath of World War II. The New Zealand-United States Educational Foundation (now trading as Fulbright New Zealand) was established in 1948 through a bi-national treaty between the governments of the US and New Zealand. Fulbright New Zealand celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2008 with a series of events in New Zealand and the US. www.fulbright.org.nz © Fulbright New Zealand 2009 ISBN 978-1-877502-06-4 (print) ISBN 978-1-877502-07-1 (PDF) Chairperson’s Welcome Kia ora and welcome to this special publication celebrating 60 years of the Fulbright educational exchange programme in New Zealand. We take this opportunity to refl ect on the success and achievements of six decades of educational and cultural exchange between Fulbright graduate students, research scholars, teachers, artists and professionals from New Zealand and the United States of America. In marking this occasion we must fi rst pay tribute to the extraordinary country while abroad on Fulbright exchanges, and everyone they share vision of one man – the Fulbright Programme’s founder Senator J.
    [Show full text]
  • British Aid to Greece, 1940-1941
    University of Kentucky UKnowledge Military History History 1986 Diary of a Disaster: British Aid to Greece, 1940-1941 Robin Higham Kansas State University Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Thanks to the University of Kentucky Libraries and the University Press of Kentucky, this book is freely available to current faculty, students, and staff at the University of Kentucky. Find other University of Kentucky Books at uknowledge.uky.edu/upk. For more information, please contact UKnowledge at [email protected]. Recommended Citation Higham, Robin, "Diary of a Disaster: British Aid to Greece, 1940-1941" (1986). Military History. 9. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_military_history/9 Diary of a Disaster o Moscow ° Berlino ATLANTIC OCEAN °Ankara Malta ~Athe~ns ALGERIA MEDITERRANEAN SEAc/ Benghazi . Cairo i I I I I I I SUDAN I I Khartoum )J ...\~ .Jl~N£Q!!E~ENT ROUTE ,/ ~- ""'------- ~--_/ ~ / / / / EAST AFRICA I I 1000 MILE RADIUS FROM LONDON AND CAIRO Diary of a Disaster British Aid to Greece 1940-1941 ROBIN HIGHAM THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY For Barbara for thirty-six years of love and friendship Copyright © 1986 by Robin Higham Published by the University Press of Kentucky Paperback edition 2009 The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics of Forgetting: New Zealand-Greek Wartime Relationship
    Politics of Forgetting: New Zealand-Greek Wartime Relationship Martyn Brown Bachelor of Arts Graduate Diploma Library Science Graduate Diploma Information Technology Post-Graduate Diploma Business Research Master of Arts (Research) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 School of History Philosophy Religion and Classics Abstract In extant New Zealand literature and national public commemoration, the New Zealand experience of wartime Greece largely focuses on the Battle of Crete in May 1941 and, to a lesser extent, on the failed earlier mainland campaign. At a politico-military level, the ill-fated Greek venture and the loss of Crete hold centre stage in the discourse. In terms of commemoration, the Battle of Crete dominates as an iconic episode in the national history of New Zealand. As far as the Greeks are concerned, New Zealand elevates and embraces Greek civilians to the point where they overshadow the Greek military. The New Zealand drive to place the Battle of Crete as supporting its national self-imagining has been achieved, but what has been forgotten in the process? The wartime connection between the Pacific nation and Greece lasted for the remainder of the international conflict and was highly complex and sometimes violent. In occupied Greece and Crete, as well as in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy, New Zealand forces had to interact with a divided Greek nation that had been experiencing ongoing political turmoil and intermittent civil conflict. Individual New Zealanders found themselves acting as liaison officers with competing partisan groups. Greek military units with a history of mutiny and political intrigue were affiliated with the main New Zealand fighting force, the Second New Zealand Division.
    [Show full text]
  • The Strategic Thinking of Maj Gen Sir
    CENTRE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES NEW ZEALAND Discussion Papers The Centre for Strategic Studies Discussion Paper series is designed to give a forum for scholars and specialists working on issues related directly to New Zealand’s security, broadly defined, in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The opinions expressed and conclusions drawn in the Discussion Papers are solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand or any other organisation with which the writer may be affiliated. For further information or additional copies of the Discussion Papers please contact: The Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 600 Wellington New Zealand. Tel: 64 4 463 5434 Fax: 64 4 463 5737 Email: [email protected] http://www.vuw.ac.nz/css/ Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington 2008 © Emmet McElhatton ISSN 1175-1347 The writer and the publisher gratefully acknowledge the permissions from the Kippenberger Military Archive and Research Library, Army Museum, Waiouru and The Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, London to quote Major General Sir Howard Kippenberger annotations in this Paper; and the Secretary to the Delegates of Oxford University Press for permission to quote the sales figures for the book Infantry Brigadier authored by Major General Sir Howard Kippenberger. Cover design and desktop publishing: Synonne Rajanayagam Printed by: Milne Print Limited The Strategic Thinking of Major
    [Show full text]
  • Sir John White : Witness to History
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Sir John White: Witness to History A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In History At Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand Lynn Charles McConnell 2016 ABSTRACT Many contributions have been made to New Zealand’s literary record of the Second World War, from the comprehensive War History Series that recorded each action and every unit of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force through to the memoirs of lowly contributors down the ranks. Everyone saw the war through different eyes. While much has been written, so there is much still to be understood about New Zealand’s contribution to the defeat of the forces of fascism and Nazism between 1939-1945. By far the majority of those who served the nation declined to talk, even to their families, about their experiences, preferring to keep them bottled up, possibly as a result of what they saw, memories of lost comrades or believing non- participants would not understand. Debate, controversy and study have gone into many of the writings from the war and into the actions in which New Zealanders were involved. Typical of many of those who largely decided to retain their own counsel, a not inappropriate description given his later status, was John White. He started the war as a second-lieutenant and ended as a Major.
    [Show full text]
  • Military History for William Edward (Bill) Mold
    War Story Page 1 MILITARY HISTORY FOR WILLIAM EDWARD (BILL) MOLD PART ONE… War Story Page 2 INTRODUCTION PAGE 3 A GENERAL OVERVIEW PAGE 11 FORMATION AND BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NEW ZEALAND TWENTIETH BATTALION PAGE 16 GREECE AND CRETE PAGE 24 OUR SOLDIERS STORY STARTS INCLUDING COPIES OF LETTERS TO HIS MUM PAGE 33 GREECE CAMPAIGN PAGE 47 CRETE CAMPAIGN PAGE 58 CAMPAIGN IN LIBYA PAGE 92 SYRIAN CAMPAIGN PAGE 139 War Story Page 3 INTRODUCTION… Dear People, My intention is to record this war record for those members of my family and others who are interested now and for those who may be interested in the future. I am but one who is interested, I hope there will be others… Through the following pages of this war story, I hope to capture and cover some of the events and experiences of one of our Kiwi soldiers during World War Two (1939-1945) also the history of his Battalion and the huge commitment and sacrifice “The Twentieth” made for its country and the Mother-Land. With other members of my family, including Grandparents, great Grandparents and great-great Grandparents, Uncles and great Uncles, Nurses, including all of their individual Comrades of Arms , who fought, were killed, wounded, became Prisoners of War and Mentally affected during many wars down through those troubled times of history. Because of their courage and commitment, Kiwi’s of today can live their lives with freedom and in peace. Our Soldiers letters to his Mum and family and condensed information taken from “Official New Zealand Military History Books”, and personal stories from his comrades in arms, will give some account of the hardship, terror, humour and comradeship “our soldier” experienced while helping to defend, Greece, Crete, Palestine, Syria, North Africa and Italy from Germany’s Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and their Allies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fall of Crete, 1941
    THE FALL OF CRETE 1941: WAS FREYBERG CULPABLE? A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History by JAMES C. BLISS, MAJ, NEW ZEALAND ARMY BAL, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia, 2002 Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 2006 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Name of Candidate: MAJ James C. Bliss Thesis Title: The Fall of Crete 1941: Was Freyberg Culpable? Approved by: , Thesis Committee Chair Mr. Wilburn E. Meador, M.A. , Member Christopher R. Gabel, Ph.D. , Member Lieutenant Colonel Andrew F. Mahoney, M.S. Accepted this 16th day of June 2006 by: , Director, Graduate Degree Programs Robert F. Baumann, Ph.D. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student author and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to this study should include the foregoing statement.) ii ABSTRACT THE FALL OF CRETE 1941: WAS FREYBERG CULPABLE? by MAJ James Bliss, 159 pages. On 20 May 1941, Generaloberst Kurt Student’s Luftwaffe XI Fliegerkorps conducted the first operational airborne invasion in history to seize Crete. Major-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg VC, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, commanded the British forces defending the island. Freyberg, forewarned of the details of the invasion, possessed numerical superiority over the enemy, but was defeated within twelve days. Freyberg, later blamed for the defeat due to his perceived faulty defensive dispositions, was dealt a losing hand from the start.
    [Show full text]
  • The Official Histories of New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939-45
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Memory, History, Nation, War The Official Histories of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45 A thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement of the Doctor of Philosophy in History Rachael Elizabeth Bell 2012 Massey University, Palmerston North New Zealand Memory, History, Nation, War The Official Histories of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45 Rachael Elizabeth Bell 2012 Abstract The Official Histories of the Second World War are the largest historiographical project in /%'4+"#+,(*1"1*+,#%%-++(** *',0,+ (*#'#.#-%,,%+' for the war as a whole. The War Histories were intended to fi%%/#*'!( *(%+"1/*,(3,(' memorial, a souvenir, an interpretation of events and a record of experience in certain +)#%#+ #%+4"(' %#,#'!',-*( ,"+*(%+*,(-%#"(,(&1/#,"#' the War History project, between an affirmative national memory and an empirically accurate history on the one hand and between the critical evaluation of campaigns and the recognition of service and sacrifice on the other. This thesis examines this dichotomy through a framework of memory, history, nation and war. It uses four case studies from the War History series, Journey towards Christmas, by S.P. Llewellyn, 23 Battalion, by Angus Ross, Crete, by Dan Davin and Battle for Egypt, the Summer of 1942, by J.L. Scoullar, to consider the extent to which the tensions between the roles of the Histories influenced their production and their place as contemporary histories in post-war New Zealand.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    A Generation of Promise: The 1908 Junior National Scholarship Candidates - Education, Occupation, and the First World War JANE LATCHEM Abstract The Junior National Scholarship examination was introduced in the early twentieth century to encourage able children to continue at school through to secondary level. This article investigates the extent to which successful candidates of 1908 took the opportunity for further education beyond primary school. The main focus is on those who went on to university study and pursued successful careers, but those who ended up in less enviable circumstances are also of interest. Also highlighted are the differing vocational opportunities available to girls and boys, the importance of teaching as a career for girls, and the effect on the boys of the First World War. On 9 December 1908, 1,765 children gathered at schools across New Zealand to sit the two-day Junior National Scholarship examination.1 Most were 12 or 13 years old.2 Those who passed would gain a free place in a secondary school, district high school, or technical high school and would also be eligible for either a national scholarship or a scholarship from their local education board. Such opportunities were prized. From 1905 to 1908, just over half the number of primary school leavers left school without having passed the examination for Standard 6.3 In 1908, 147,000 children attended New Zealand public primary schools but only 8,600 attended secondary schools.4 Of those who went on to secondary education, only a small percentage completed a full five-year course of tuition.5 A system of junior and senior national scholarships was initiated in 1903 to encourage able children from families of “limited means” to aim for full participation in secondary schooling.6 The Minister of Education, Premier Richard Seddon, believed that education was the key to New Zealand’s future prosperity and place in the world.
    [Show full text]