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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 18, 2007 13:18:50 GMT 12
My Dad's cousin Bob has asked me if I can supoply any info to him about Cambria Park, the WWII US forces camp in Auckland.
I don't know much about it, but I have referred him to The yanks Are Coming by Harry Bioletti to check that book.
Can anyone please offer other info about the place?
Bob says "Cambia Park was a US army base at Wiri, it is where the Nestle factory is now, are you able to tell me anymore about it the size, possible road layout etc, it is for a friend who is writing a book on NZ motor racing and it appears some sort of event was held there in 1957 ,thanks if you can add anything on it."
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Post by smithy on Nov 19, 2007 8:29:01 GMT 12
Don't know about Cambria but the whole of the Auckland Domain was a big US camp. A lot were billeted out around town to try and make them feel more at home. My Dad's family had two US guys staying at their home at different periods. Very sadly one was killed at Iwo Jima (only 19 years old) and the other had a horrendous time watching the remains of his squad (which he'd been separted from during a firefight) get murdered grotesquely by the Japs whilst he hid up a tree. When this guy got back he was a real mess and went AWOL and my grandfather had to help the poor guy go back to his unit.
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Post by Bruce on Nov 19, 2007 8:57:06 GMT 12
In the Early 1990s when I was working in Auckland I flatted with a guy who worked at the Nestle Factory. He had a staff newsletter thing about the 30th Anniversary of the factory, and it had an aerial photo of the factory being built. In it you could see rows of concrete foundations behind the site, and the caption noted them to be the remains of the Cambria park Militray camp. Nestle therefore may have some photos / info in thier records. There is also the rumour that somewhere in that area surplus material was dumped into a hole and buried (a common story...). I would have thought that with subsequent extensive industrial development and quarrying that if such a hole existed, it would have been uncovered by now.
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Post by Bruce on Nov 19, 2007 22:10:34 GMT 12
Just grabbed the following image as a screen shot off google earth. This is Cambria Park - the Nestle Factory is indicated. Bottom LH corner is Roscommon Rd, the main route from Wiri to the Auckland Airport. Puhinui Rd, the Eastern access rd to the airport will run just out of picture at the top. The Wiri Quarry is in the bottom RH corner. Indicated by an arrow are visible traces of the military camp - some foundations of some sort, perhaps a roadway. It appears as though the roadway from the Southern Gate of Nestle may have originally linked to these remains. You wouldnt pick any of this from the roadway at ground level - it looks just like a scrubby horse paddock.
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Post by Kereru on Nov 20, 2007 7:02:24 GMT 12
Lucky you got that screen shot Bruce as that area is all ripped up and a construction site for the motorway. I will see if I can get some photos today and post them. A screen shot further away than Bruce's showing in purple the south western motorway path. This motorway is due for completion in 2010. There are a lot of bridges and a major on off ramp joining the southern motorway near Manukau to be completed. Hopefully Nestles or perhaps Manukau City libraries may have some photos and history on it. Manukau Courier maybe another source as they did run stories from time to time on historical places / events. Colin
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 20, 2007 7:52:28 GMT 12
Thanks everyone, I'll pass the link to this thread onto Bob.
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Post by Kereru on Nov 20, 2007 16:57:56 GMT 12
As Promised Bob / Dave some photos of the present day site. My straight line on the map may be a sweeping curve now that I have seen my photos/ This first shot is taken from the look out at the top or near Redoubt Road. It looks down over the roof tops to the present motorway off ramp to Manukau City and lines up with where it will join up to the present south western motorway near Puhinui Road. Note the Singapore Airlines 747 (SPR) on final for 23L. In fact just below that is where Nestle factory is just a tad right. Here is another view with the full 400mm of telephoto compression and you can see the airport buildings top left hand side. At the corner of Puhinui Road on the airport side of the railway line there is this plaque on a monument which was erected in June 1992 for the 50th anniversary of the arrival of military forces of the United States of America in New Zealand. There must have been some kind of news item about this in local papers and perhaps even in the herald at the time? I hate seeing stuff like this desecrated by graffiti artists. This shot is taken from the pedestrian overbridge at Puhinui Station looking in the general direction of where Cambria Park would have been. This one is looking more to the west and straight down Puhinui Road towards the airport. The monument is just next to the truck parked on the corner middle right of pic. This one is taken just outside the Nestle factory gate and some concrete pieces can be seen in the paddock with earth works in the back ground for the motorway. I am not sure if the concrete is new or old. This shot I turned to my left and is the Nestle factory. I notice the Nestle factory still has the words Cambria Park Factory under the trade name at the front gate. I have known this area for about the last 40+ years and my first job was at Alcan Industries for 4.5 years starting in 1963. At one time I was going to apply at Nestle but went to Fisher and Paykel at Mt Wellington and that was it as I stayed for 32 years. It is quite amazing as I never knew there was a camp nearby and I lived in Druces Road for 3 years. Like most of the camps they were very close to railway lines as I guess they were used a lot more then than they are now. Hopefully that is on the change again. Sorry about my ramblings but it does bring back old memories. Cheers, Colin
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 21, 2007 8:26:42 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2007 10:25:03 GMT 12
Great stuff there Colin, thanks for the excellent shots. Bob has passed on his thanks by the way.
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