| Papakura Camp 1940 dated.
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| Queen Street AK December 1940 Dated on back |
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| Camp scene possible Whau Valley
near Whangarei |
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| Bush kitchen
ditto from maybe Whau Valley |
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| Group at Trentham
Camp 1941 from the Degan's |
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| My father in camp with three
mates. They just get through the depression
then along comes the mother of all wars. Hardly the lucky
generation. |
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| Large group labelled F Coy, I.T.B. Papakura 1941
good quality photo, 2 images, left hand side, right
hand side. Photo by Coxon) |
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| The steamer Monowai
which carried elements of the 14 Brigade to Fiji, embarking on 2
January 1942 |
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Various shots from 14 Bde. in Fiji, several have stamp of
Lautoka shop on back
Outside club, mess or HQ ?
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| Guys not young having cuppa in
bivvy |
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| With truck |
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| Beach wire |
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| Neatly done paling lined
pit cam-netted , Bure hut in background |
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| Sandbags near beach
cam-netted |
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| Indian ladies preparing
foodstuffs |
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| On leave after Fiji,
Sam with cousin Carole and I. |
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| Group from 8 Bde. at barracks
near Suva 1942. from the Degan's |
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| Papakura Camp barracks
layout 1942 from the Degan's |
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| From 14 Bde a group in front of new Bure like canvassed
bush hut. Possibly New Caledonia or even early in Solomons because of
US style caps on some and more young guys. Also square mess tins, were
they US issue ? Any ideas on date ? I think this was 14
Bde MMG Company, any comments ? |
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| Photos of 3 Div. on exercises in and leaving New
Caledonia from Weekly News late 1943 Unloading from landing
craft |
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| Four guys in 5 star bunks
on troopship. Drivers L.Wilson (Otahuhu), D.E. Sklenars (Hamilton),
W.J. Doherty (Wellington) and Pte D. Hodgkinson (Wellington) |
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| Kiwis waiting and playing
cards; Sam said Crown and Anchor was played on troopships |
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| Race meeting in New Caledonia,
fun was not forgotten. I have the race book |
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| Group on troopship |
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| On water out to
troopship |
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| Group waiting to load near wharf
New Caledonia, nickel plant in background |
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| Landing craft with
troopship in background |
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| Poetry from Kiwi News Sheet
Number 18, July 14, 1943 |
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Three photos plus script
on back 'Corvette, P.O.s Mess, HMNZS Kiwi torpedoed (all lost) Chiefs
& P.O.s" (2 photos, plus script plus photo).
I have several links to HMNZS Kiwi and
Moa and the IJN submarine I-1 that they sunk in January
1943. The ref. on the back of the photo 2 to
"...torpedoed (all lost)" is so far an enigma because the HMNZS Kiwi is
recorded as being sold for scrap in Auckland in 1960's. See links.
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| Photos of troops in Solomon's from newspapers or
Weekly News late '43 Guys #1
Guys #2 Guys #3 |
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| Detailed Solomons map used by COMSOPAC air patrols made
by 1st Avn. Eng. Bn May 1943. North
sheet and south sheet. Many
place names and airfield locations. |
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| US Army (G-2) intelligence map (~A3 size) of Solomon's and
Rabaul showing enemy shipping in early November 1943 at time of USMC
landings at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville and USN carrier air
strikes on Rabaul. Indicates enemy landings in
opposition just north of Empress Augusta Bay and IJN battleship on
prudent way north away from Rabaul. East
sheet and west
sheet |
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| Christmas card 1943 sent to my father Sam Hughes from
workmates at Milne & Choyce; signatures 1
signatures 2 |
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| Christmas card 1943
sent home by Sam with many signatures on
back |
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Four guys Green Island
March '44. Dated on back. Does anybody recognize Sgt.(Scone)
Holden (ex Timaru ) in this group ? Does anybody know if he is
alive ? It would be fantastic to
hear from him. Some photos of mates of Sam that did not make it
home, kept in Sam's pay book.
He was with Pat Beban at the end on Green Island. Scanned pages
from the official history 2 NZEF IP, Tanks, MMG's &
Ordnance, describing the 20 Feb 1944 engagements on Green Island.
121::::122::::123::::124::::125::::126
The top row are 35
Btn guys, Eric Baker was killed in the Middle east. Hope it makes us
think.
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Brian Beban a nephew of Pat
Beban (row above) has recounted how with his father Artie they
organized a Roll
of Honour
plaque listing Greymouth area 1939-45 servicemen who did not
return. On 18 May 2007 this plaque was placed on the base of the
band rotunda in the Greymouth War Memorial Park. It is thanks to
the Mayor that the plaque could be placed at all because apparently the
local RSA were concerned the list might not be complete. Is
60 odd years not long enough chaps, for you to figure out how
,many of your mates did not return ?
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Page of casualty photos
from Weekly News 27 October 1943.
Also photos of recipients of awards / medals, scroll down two
thirds of page.
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| Green Island airstrip
constructed in 1944 after 35 Btn cleared the island. Sent by Ted
Rundall, US Marine Corps flier with VMB-423 flying
PBJ's, B25 Mitchell medium bombers. Photo taken by A.F. (Al) Ueckert,
Pilot, VMB-423 in early 1945. You can pick out some USN Catalina
flying boats in mid left and some B25's closer, smaller aircraft in
distance are Corsairs. Green Is. looking
southerly, Sirot Is on right. |
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First of six segments of Green Island (Nissan Is)
map of the eastern side of Green Island with the airstrip in the north
(scans 1 and 2) The six scans run from north to south. Much
detail is shown including various US and NZ unit locations and
buildings, camps, installations etc. Susan Connor who has her 93rd
SeaBees web site sent these in. The original map is in the
CEC/Seabee Museum, NAVFAC Historian’s Office, Port Hueneme, CA and was
scanned into a pdf file, thanks to Ken Bingham a
volunteer at the Museum and Carol March, a historian.
I have generated these Map 1 to 6 jpg files using "screen dumps",
obviously resolution has been lost in this process but the files are
only 50 to 80 KB. Map 1 shows fuel
dumps north of the airstrip.
I have also worked nights to extract a series of large jpg
files Full Map 1 to 6,
these range from ~400 to 700 KB and have much more detail but of course
they take longer to load.
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Second map with more airstrip
and camps detail. As time permits I will add annotations to these
maps.
Full Map 2
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Various camps and installations on map 3
Full Map 3
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Map 4 shows the
easterly point
Full Map 4
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Map 5 shows a
dock area
Full Map 5
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Map 6 shows the South
East point of Green Island.
Full Map 6
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| Water colour of Green Island jungle by D.L. Chambers of 3rd Division,
sent in by Susannah who has created the website (see
links) about the 93rd Sea Bees who carried out construction works
on Green Island and the Pacific. Includes mach material from her
father's diaries. |
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| Watercolour of Green
Island airstrip painted by Hans Albert Nemoede of
the 93rd Seabees, also sent in by Susannah. |
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| Some currencies & oddities. NZ 1 cent chit, Fiji 1 shilling
note, Fiji 5 shilling note, 10 Yen note |
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| Men of 93rd Seabees at their mock drugstore, Hollywood & Vine mid
1944. |
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| Barflies at Duffy's
Tavern, late 44. |
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| Seabees in native
village |
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| Seabee shaving
with help of monkey |
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| Two Seabees relaxing
in their shelter mid 1944 |
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