Major Norman Stephenson & the BBC

[oggie2620]

There is a series on Channel 5 called Hero in their Family and one of the heroes they are focussing on is Comedian (and Psychologist) Pamela Stephenson's father. She knew he had been in the British Army but it turns out that both he and his brother Edward (who was killed in the war) were in the NZ Army. They must have applied to the NZDF as they gave her his service record...

Apparently Norman was a Major by the time of WW2 but because he was that rank (and a very experienced Gunnery Officer) he found that he would not be allowed to go overseas. To fulfill his ambition to serve abroad he went back to Private soldier!!!

He than rose through the ranks (8 months which is quick!) to become a Gunnery Officer in the Field Artillery..

There is some good wartime footage (but it might not be of Kiwi's!) and some refurbed wartime artillery of nowadays..

Would be interesting to see his record... Hope the series comes out to NZ/Oz because there have been some interesting episodes (even though this is the only South Antipodean so far...)

[oggie2620]

Just watched the end.2nd Lieutenant (Field Artillery) Norman Stephenson was killed in Italy. RIP.
They finished that saying that percentage wise New Zealand had more personnel killed than any other Allied country. Thankyou Kiwis for giving so much xx

[Dave Homewood]

Very interesting. We're proud of Pam, and it's nice to know her father is also someone kiwis can be proud of.

A point of interest regarding his drop in rank, though this seems like it may have been a deliberate thing as he held pre-WWII rank (?), I have found that almost all kiwi soldiers who had gained rank in NZ, dropped in rank when they boarded a troopship and left home for the war front.

This is because home rank was not considered the same as battlefield rank. A Sgt who had two years experience in the battlefield was superior to a Sgt off the boat with three years experience at home, so the latter was made Cpl, till he got some time up and experience in the field. I have met officers who dropped to Sgt on the boat trip to the war, and regained their rank later in the field.

I don't know if the British Army did this, it's a curious and confusing thing that the kiwis did, but it makes sense. I think it prevented the old war film cliche' of a new green officer taking over tought battlehardened troops and getting them all killed within a week.

[gunny]

May 30, 2012 22:04:49 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Very interesting. We're proud of Pam, and it's nice to know her father is also someone kiwis can be proud of.

A point of interest regarding his drop in rank, though this seems like it may have been a deliberate thing as he held pre-WWII rank (?), I have found that almost all kiwi soldiers who had gained rank in NZ, dropped in rank when they boarded a troopship and left home for the war front.

This is because home rank was not considered the same as battlefield rank. A Sgt who had two years experience in the battlefield was superior to a Sgt off the boat with three years experience at home, so the latter was made Cpl, till he got some time up and experience in the field. I have met officers who dropped to Sgt on the boat trip to the war, and regained their rank later in the field.

I don't know if the British Army did this, it's a curious and confusing thing that the kiwis did, but it makes sense. I think it prevented the old war film cliche' of a new green officer taking over tought battlehardened troops and getting them all killed within a week.

From my experience, shame they did'nt do this in my time in, Staff sgt Vietnam vet and bloody knew what we had to do and a 20yo officer graduate telling him to tell us what to do... did not go well on many occasions. But can see in this respect as to why it would be done and accepted in order to "get at em"

[oggie2620]

Hi both
I think in this case they refused to let him go so he said then I will become an enlisted man and go!