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Post by chinapilot on Aug 14, 2010 23:11:57 GMT 12
Found this about Kiwis in 'Z Force'....
"...During the southern winter of 1944 twenty-two New Zealand soldiers, based at Trentham Military Camp, 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Wellington, New Zealand were sent to train with Z Special Unit in Melbourne, Australia.
From there, they made their way to Fraser Commando School, on Fraser Island, Queensland, to be trained in using parachutes, unarmed combat, explosives and the Malay language. Four New Zealanders were killed during operations in Borneo.
Major Stott and Captain McMillan were both presumed drowned in heavy seas while going ashore in a rubber boat from the submarine USS Perch (SS-313) in Balikpapan Bay on 20 March 1945. Their bodies were never found.
Warrant Officer Houghton made it to shore in a second boat but was captured ten days later and languished in Balikpapan Prison where he died of beriberi about 20 April 1945.
Signalman Ernie Myers parachuted into enemy-held territory near Mount Mentawir on 30 March 1945, but landed with two other operatives inside a Japanese camp area. They resisted strongly, but the Australian in the party was killed and Myers was captured along with the Malay interpreter of the group. Both men were tortured for three days, before being beheaded.
Their bodies were recovered soon after the Japanese surrender when Lieutenant Bob Tapper, another New Zealander who was working with the War Graves Commission, discovered their remains. Evidence given to the commission by native witnesses ensured that the Japanese involved paid the penalty for this atrocity..."
Respect.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 15, 2010 1:04:53 GMT 12
Good work in bringing up these forgotten stories. Amazing that it has been 65 years since the great day of Victory. It doesn't seem that long since we were marking the 50th.
It is interesting that you posted about these kiwis in special forces units as I was actually plannign to begin a thread on kiwis in special forces units myself yesterday and didnt get around to it.
I have interviewed a chap in his 90's who joined the Army in 1939, and in 1941 was shipped off to Australia in the first ever NZ special forces unit of WWII, the name of which totally escapes me right now. it wasn't an inspiring name. There were 60 men selected and they put them on a peninsular in a national park in Australia and they trained up there specifically to combat the threat of Japan. This was before the Japs kicked off, but the NZ Govt was sure they were going to have a go. It was all jungle warfare and guerilla tactics. He said after months of training he came home and they sent him off to Italy...
I know kiwis served in the SAS, the LRDG, I think the SBS and of course Z Force which is I think derived from that original unit Bob was in, but what other special forces units or raids were kiwis involved in?
Such as Dieppe, many kiwis were in the air for that one and I assume many on ships too, but were any of the ground forces who went ashore actually New Zelaanders?
One chap I interviewed in Christchurh a few weeks back, Noel Smith, was an officer aboard HMS Broke when she was used to make a daring raid against the Viche French-held port of Algiers in Operation Terminal - and it was for him, he was badly wounded and it ebded his war. It was an amazing raid, I'd never hear dof it. They were trying to insert US Rangers right onto the docks he said. They rammed their way into the harbour, a bit like the St Nazaire raid.
I think back to when I used to read stuff like that in Commando Comics as a kid and now i am meeting men who really did these things. Flipping amazing.
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Post by obiwan27 on Aug 15, 2010 11:33:27 GMT 12
Wow, 65 years. Doubtful that the media will focus much on the significance of this for NZ. Instead it'll be the usual focus on the dropping of Atomic bombs on Japan bringing about the surrender (finally) and not much else. Really we need to include in the teaching of NZ history to school kids (if it is actually taught in much detail beyond the pioneers and Treaty issues) about how fortunate NZ was to have allies who were prepared to sacrifice much to fight against and defeat tyranny in Europe but most especially in the Pacific, our own back yard. We have much of what we have today including freedoms that way too many NZ citizens take for granted because of the willingness of our elders to stand up and fight to defend and preserve those freedoms over 65 years ago. Great to hear about those stories Dave, here's hoping they make it out amongst people of all ages and address the alarming ignorance and apathy about our past that blights NZ society today.
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Post by pilotintraining on Aug 16, 2010 23:18:57 GMT 12
I absolutely agree with you Obiwan. I'm 17 and I had absolutely no idea how many New Zealander's were involved in all sorts of crucial raids, events and organisations until I started doing some reading for myself. At school the only NZ history we learn is the treaty of waitangi in year 9 (3rd form) Social studies and NZ search for security in year 11 (5th form) history. All that involves is NZ 1945 - 1985. While those 40 years are interesting (and a lot was happening in New Zealand socially, nuclear issue, women's rights, apartheid etc) I feel like the government does not think that the time period in between is worth teaching us and a lot of people my age think that New Zealand has a very boring history as a consequence. If only they could just add in a topic that explained even a little bit of what New Zealander's have been involved with, particularly the world wars (Battle of Crete, North Africa campaign, Italy campaign, the LRDP, the Battle of Britian etc) then my fellow peers might have a slightly different view of NZ history - that it's not all about a flawed treaty and a controversial rugby tour.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 17, 2010 17:00:56 GMT 12
Tahnks for that input pilotintraining. I had no idea how much damage the Helen Clark era had done to eductaion of NZ history. When I was at high school (1984-88) it was in the Social Studies curriculum to learn about the NZ involvement in WWII and the wider world view of that war. We also learned then about current world politics and conflicts such as the then very topical Libyan crisis, etc. They never wasted time enforcing Treaty of Waitangi rhetoric upon us, though I did strike that later at university...
We are lucky in my generation in that we had the opportunity to know many people who'd served in WWII, they were the generation of our grandparents. For current school goers like yourself, it is annother generation at least removed, the generation of your great-grandparents, and there are very few of them still living. They are to you I guess much like the WWI generation was to me, somewhat irrelevant to the average teenager, sadly.
At my school, Cambridge High School, there used to be a Roll of Honour for all the fine young men who'd left that school and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Sadly in recent years a certain headmaster removed that historic memorial as it was no longer deemed relevant to her political views. All I can say is *&%$#@* her!
There was also an origainl Maurice Conly portrait of Edward 'Bill' Wells, one of our local Battle of Britain pilots, presented to the school by the RNZAF in WWII. She dumped that too.
The more I look into just our local town's efforts in both World Wars I feel enraged that our kids are not learning what went on. I have seriously considered approaching the High School's history department and trying to set up some sort of programme to get young people reading about their town in WWI and WWII. I'm certain the kids are interested, we get hundreds of them turn up to ANXAC Day parades, but the schools are not telling them about why they go to these parades, and what it is they are supposed to be remembering.
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Post by alanw on Aug 17, 2010 20:06:01 GMT 12
Hi Dave Yours and pilotintraining's comments raise some question with me re these PC educators What are these self serving masters of education going to do in 4 years time when we mark the centenary of the start of the Great War aka WWI? And more importantly in 5 years time, the day that the term ANZAC was born on the centenary of the Gallipoli landings? The centenary of WWI in 2014 will be splashed across the news and TV, thanks to our allies who actually take the time to remember these things. ANZAC day 2015 will be through all the papers across the Internet, the younger generations will want to know about these things what will these "educators" do then?  ? I shudder to think how it will be glossed over  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 21, 2010 11:39:47 GMT 12
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