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Post by ErrolC on Mar 5, 2017 7:46:01 GMT 12
historygeek.co.nz/2017/02/28/defending-wellington-the-home-guard-at-makara/Defending Wellington: The Home Guard at Makara BY LEMUEL ON FEBRUARY 28, 2017 • ( 24 COMMENTS ) These previously unpublished photographs of the Home Guard offer a rare candid view of an often-overlooked part of New Zealand’s experience during the Second World War. Far from being a safe sideshow, with limited resources these men bravely faced a genuine threat and were prepared to defend their homeland against enemy invasion. I found these original snapshots in a second-hand bookshop. As a hobby, I collect orphaned photographs like these and research the stories behind them.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 5, 2017 10:24:05 GMT 12
Wow, that is an absolutely superb collection of photos and a real piece of social and military history there. I've done a lot of research into our own Cambridge Home Guard who raised a whole Battalion of men, and their story is fascinating and amazing. Far more should have been done to record the history of our 100,000 plus strong civilian Army.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 5, 2017 10:25:52 GMT 12
I have moved this to the correct board by the way, you'd posted it in the between the wars board Errol. The Home Guard existed from August 1940 till about December 1943. And they were actually part of the New Zealand Army.
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Post by davidd on Mar 5, 2017 10:31:19 GMT 12
Dave H,
On seeing the photo of the young guardsman, I wondered if this could have been Errol Brathwaite, later an air gunner in 3 Sqdn, RNZAF on Venturas. There is a photo of Errol in the Squadron's photo album, and I was struck then by his very youthful appearance (he was born 1924, Waipukurau), but my notes seem to indicate he was a member of the Army (in Wellington, in NZ Artillery) rather then the HG. I will have to compare the two photos! Of course Errol's wife Allison died just a few months ago.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 5, 2017 10:39:32 GMT 12
I guess perhaps he may have served in the Home Guard first, then the Army, then the RNZAF. The Home Guard was established in 1940. Although they look pretty well equipped in some shots with uniforms and weapons which many units didn't get immediately. The ones with battledress will be either Signallers or Officers, who were the first to be supplied the modern pattern of uniform, but as battledress was needed more urgently to re-equip the regular Army the others were supplied with ex-Territorial uniforms, as you also see in these photos.
I guess it could be Errol's younger brother too, if he had a younger brother. He only looks about 14.
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Post by lemuel on Mar 5, 2017 13:23:06 GMT 12
Hey all - I'm the author of the article and as luck would have it also recently joined this forum. Thanks for sharing the link! I'd love to be able to send high-resolution copies of the photos to the families of the guardsmen featured, so would really appreciate hearing from anyone who recognises any names or faces. Now that they are on my website I'm hoping that someone will come forward.
The photo of the young guardsman, Braithwaite, is dated 1942. Not all the photos have dates on the back but the ones that do are all from that year. I've included the names whenever they were written on the back - but they were scrawled in pencil and in some instances are difficult to read, so they may not always be correct.
It has been a fascinating journey researching some of the history of this Home Guard unit. I expect that there are many similar stories waiting to be told from other HG units up and down the country (my grandfather used to tell me some great yarns!), however I don't think I'll be so lucky to find a collection of photos like these ones again.
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Post by errolmartyn on Mar 5, 2017 16:32:06 GMT 12
The photo of the young guardsman, Braithwaite, is dated 1942. Not all the photos have dates on the back but the ones that do are all from that year. I've included the names whenever they were written on the back - but they were scrawled in pencil and in some instances are difficult to read, so they may not always be correct. Author Errol Freeman Brathwaite enlisted in the RNZAF in mid- or late 1943, as NZ4310534, so it is quite possible that he could have been in the Home Guard in 1942. Errol was posted to the Reserve post-war but on 26 Feb 47 he re-enlisted, as NZ47040, and was renumbered in January 1948 as 71743. It is reported elsewhere that he spent 12 years in the RNZAF. (Antoher) Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 5, 2017 21:34:19 GMT 12
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Post by lemuel on Mar 6, 2017 19:26:43 GMT 12
Author Errol Freeman Brathwaite enlisted in the RNZAF in mid- or late 1943, as NZ4310534, so it is quite possible that he could have been in the Home Guard in 1942. Errol was posted to the Reserve post-war but on 26 Feb 47 he re-enlisted, as NZ47040, and was renumbered in January 1948 as 71743. It is reported elsewhere that he spent 12 years in the RNZAF. (Antoher) Errol Thank you very much, Errol and others. I wonder if he was known to be in Wellington during his teen years. Funnily enough I have a couple of his books in my library. Thank you also Dave, I did have a good trawl of Papers Past while researching for my article and as always it proved to be an extremely useful resource. That's where I came across the mention of the amusing skinny-dipping incident, and also the report of Peter Fraser speaking to the Makara Battalion a week before Pearl Harbor and the speech given to them after the end of the war by Colonel L. W. Andrew, V.C. At the bottom of my article I've listed the other sources that I found useful. |
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