RSA Review - December 2012

summer 2012

CONGRATS CHAMPS

Governor-general Lt Gen Sir Jerry Mateparae looks just as happy as the Opotiki College cadets about the unit winning the RNZRSA Trophy community services award. The Opotiki lads are (from left) SSgt Kohitatea Heke-Gemmell, Sgt Jerome Aramoana, Cpt Mark Wiremu and Maj Trevor Ransfield. Story: page 2.

News

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4

summer Loves

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9

remembering

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15

What’s New

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35

Life at end of ‘a very dark tunnel’

Summer secrets to savour

Hometown says adieu to Nancy

Head start for author on Bunty book

Highly decorated soldier Lt Col Bill Blaikie tells how he has learned to live with post-traumatic stress disorder (OTSD).

Our writers reveal some of their favourite summer hideaways and pastimes – and a few of their inner secrets.

Wellington has finally said goodbye to hometown war hero Nancy Wake – on what would have been her 100th birthday.

Maori Battalion veteran Bunty Preece says the new book that bears his name is not about him, but about the battalion.

Visit us online at www.rsa.org.nz

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RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

News Opotiki cadets take ‘big step up’ for second trophy success The official publication of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association Volume 89 No.4 Summer 2012 Published December 6, 2012

In this issue 02 News 04 National 06 On The road 18 remembering 28 Lost Trails 29 rsA Life 32 Classifieds 38 What’s New For RSA Review enquiries and subscriptions, contact: RSA Review Anzac House, 181 Willis Street PO Box 27 248, Wellington 6141 Phone 04 384 7994 Fax 04 385 3325 rsareview@rsa.org.nz www.rsa.org.nz Last Post, What’s On and Lost Trails are placed in RSA Review as a free service.

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“It’s a big step up for us, especially the new cadets – we worked hard to get it. It’s a great honour and privilege,” SSgt Kohitatea HekeGemmell said of the Opotiki College Cadet Unit’s success in winning the RNZRSA Trophy – the Cadet Forces award for community services.

He accepted the award, which comes with a $1000 prize attached, from governor general Lt Gen Sir Jerry Mateparae at the RNZRSA National Council in Wellington. The Opotiki College also won the award in 2005.

The unit was honoured for its work with community events and groups, heralded by recommendation letters. The winner is chosen by the RNZRSA’s top brass.

Unit leader Maj Trevor Ransfield says it was significant that the governor general came and spoke to the guys: “He said ‘Congratulations’ and he doesn’t normally do that. It shows how well the guys are received by the community wherever they go.”

Opotiki RSA president Gavin Nicol said the town should be proud of the achievement and

The Opotiki College Cadet unit with cheque and RNZRSA Trophy: front (from left), Maj Trevor Ransfield, Cpl Mark Wiremu, SSgt Kohitatea Heke-Gemmell, Sgt Jerome Aramoana. Back (from left), supporter committee members Mark Wiremu snr, Gavin Nicol (Opotiki RSA president), Mana Gemmell (chairman).

hard work the unit put in. “I’ve had so many calls from other RSAs congratulating them and saying how well the group does.”

Both SSgt Heke-Gemmell and Sgt Jerome Aramoana, say they enjoy cadets and are aiming for careers in the armed services.

KAITAIA SALUTES ITS VIETNAM VETS Story/photos: Petrina Hodgson, Northland Age Richie Taaffe rates the Kaitaia District High School/Kaitaia College Vietnam War honour roll as “probably one of the best ideas I’ve ever had”. But even he didn’t foresee just how well it would turn out.

The Vietnam veteran’s idea was to gather as many as possible of the 41 former Kaitaia College students who served in Vietnam, and present and unveil a roll of honour for the school. Kaitaia College’s old-pupil representation in Vietnam was the highest of any school in New Zealand.

But it wasn’t just the idea. Richie Taaffe then organised 19 of his army mates to get there, and he made and funded the roll of honour, which lists the 41 veterans. He has since received a grant for two-thirds of the costs from the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs.

“It turned out very well, something the school can look after,” he says. “It got far bigger than I ever anticipated. It’s just a pity it wasn’t done for other servicemen.”

Acting principal John Paitai described it as an honour to welcome the old boys.

“For you the price of duty in Vietnam has been high. To our country’s shame, recognition of your service has been largely ignored. This assembly unconditionally recognises this. You are our heroes.”

The ceremony culminated in the unveiling of the roll of honour by Athol Johnson, a former pupil, teacher and deputy/acting principal in the 1950s and early 1960s, and Richie Taaffe’s granddaughter, Jada Taaffe. Athol Johnson and his wife travelled from Auckland for the occasion – more than 60 years after he began teaching at the school.

He admitted to being “somewhat overwhelmed”, commended the school greatly for what it was doing, and declared it

Above: The 19 veterans at the Kaitaia College ceremony, with Padre Frank Harrison (seated, fourth from left) with the roll of honour they presented to Kaitaia College: Standing, from left, Ray Beatson, Richard Goodhue,Tom Heta, Ted Creelman, Pat Harrison, Ian Johnston, Kevin Campbell, Colin Mosby, Arthur Simeon, Graeme Munro, Terry McConnell, Richie Taaffe. Seated, from left: Terry Culley, Dennis Doak, Eru Manuera (since deceased) Padre Frank Harrison, David Russell, Keith Tahu, Roger Dudfield, Hemi Peterson.

Right: Richie Taafe (left), his granddaughter, Jada Taafe (right), and former Kaitaia College pupil, teacher and deputy principal Athol Johnson unveil the roll of honour.

“an honour and a privilege” to be there.

“I was informed that one of the reasons you wanted to have today was to thank everyone who helped you in your youth,” he told the veterans. “If we were able to help you in any way or measure, it was our pleasure. Now it’s our turn to thank you.”

The Kaitaia District High School/College old boys who served in South Vietnam between 1965 and 1974 were: Raymond Beatson, Michael Beazley, Raymond Beckham, Richard Berghan, Fred Bigg-Wither,

Graham Briscoe, Kevin Campbell, Ted Creelman, Terry Culley, Dennis Doak, Roger Dudfield, Richard Goodhue, John Harrison, Tomas Heta, Ian Johnston, Dalton Karipa, Hiki King, Nick Leat, Terry McConnell, Eru Manuera, Tiny Manuera, Brian Marshall, Colin Mosby, Graeme Munro, Arthur Noble, Lee Notton, Bruce Panther, Hemi Peterson, David Russell, Brian Senn, Arthur Simeon, Dave Simeon, Joe Simeon, Richard Taaffe, Keith Tahu, Dave Te Paa, Heta Tobin, John Tracey, George Walker, Willie Walker and Dick Wharerau.

Mission accomplished: five-year search ends for Spitfire fan

East Coast Bays RSA member Wayne Marks has had a lifelong love affair with Spitfires – his lounge is decorated with Spitfire pictures.

From childhood, his aim was to be photographed holding the wing or sitting in the cockpit of the real thing. When in 2007 he read about a Spitfire (known as Marion) restoration project at Ardmore, he made contact. The result: as the Spitfire neared completion, he was photographed holding the wing; a month later, he watched a test flight and was invited to sit in the cockpit for a picture (left).

That experience fuelled another goal: to find a Spitfire veteran to autograph one of the photos. After searching for five years without success, his work at Auckland Hospital brought him into contact with a former Spitfire and Tempest pilot. The Kiwi veteran happily signed on the dotted line. As Wayne says – Mission complete.

News

RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

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ANZAC ARTIST RECOGNISED Karen Phelps A Hamilton street-name has been changed to honour a New Zealand war hero – soldier/artist Sapper Horace Moore-Jones, known internationally for his Man with the Donkey Gallipoli painting.

This is the first recognition of Moore-Jones in New Zealand, despite his international ranking .

Moore-Jones, who was Hamilton High School’s first art master, died heroically on April 3, 1922, rescuing others from a fire that destroyed the former Hamilton Hotel and took two other lives.

Marlborough Place, a central city cul de sac that forms the southern boundary of the old hotel site, has been renamed Sapper Moore-Jones Place and a plaque unveiled by governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae. The Hamilton City Council has approved the erection of a Moore-Jones commemorative statue for Anzac Day 2014.

The naming ceremony was attended by MooreJones descendants from Auckland, Tauranga and Australia, plus the son of Richard Henderson, the Waihi field medic Moore-Jones memorialised in the famous Anzac painting.

A 100-year-old 16 Waikato Regt flag from Gallipoli, now owned by Hamilton Gallipoli historian Richard Stowers, was used in the unveiling. Moore-Jones was among the Waikato men who, as part of the Auckland Infantry Battalion, were the first Kiwis on the ground at Gallipoli.

Hamilton Boys’ High School pupils performed extracts from a play by local writer Campbell Smith about Moore-Jones’ heroic death; the full play was performed the same day.

Waikato Museum also exhibited Moore-Jones’ Anzac painting and his 100-year-old korowai, Te Arawa socialite and scholar Maggie (Makereti) Papakura gifted the woven, kiwi-feather cloak was to him in London in 1912 as thanks for his support of her concert party at King George V’s coronation and Festival of Empire.

Horace Moore-Jones: recognition for a dashing hero.

The recognition of Moore-Jones was initiated by the TOTI Charitable Trust to mark the 150th anniversary of the Waikato War of 1863-64 and the centennial of Gallipoli and World War 1. The trust settled on a street-name as to a physical reminder of Moore-Jones’s role in the war effort, says Margaret Evans, a trust member and former mayor of Hamilton.

“He is clearly one of our greatest heroes and his artistry was hugely influential in that campaign.

More and more people, especially young people, are turning out at Anzac Day commemorations.

Gradually the stories are starting to come out.

“The creative element is one of the most important elements to human beings. It’s what makes civilisations great.

“It is the spirit of the people that is important to nourish, including in war. We started talking about the saying, ‘We shall remember’, and how important it is to learn from the lessons of history. Because we live in an age where celebrity

is everything, we came up with the concept of finding some of our own hidden heroes with messages still relevant to society.”

Moore-Jones struck a dashing figure, as his role was a little different from that usually associated with war, says Evans. He enlisted with the engineering corp and was among the first Anzac soldiers on the ground in the April 1915 landing on Gallipoli Peninsula. The Allies had no reliable maps and Moore-Jones crawled behind enemy lines to provide precise battlefield sketches of enemy positions and terrain to guide gunners and plan defence. He was also sent to Cairo to provide information to intelligence about enemy lines.

His hands were injured and he was transferred to London where, in 1916, he developed and exhibited his series of Gallipoli paintings to great acclaim and a viewing by King George V. When the series toured New Zealand in 1917 thousands turned out to see Moore-Jones’s stark depictions of the realities of war, and he became a national celebrity.

He joined the newly formed RSA, which benefited through proceeds from his paintings.

This income was significant in helping the new organisation get established.

The coming centennials of the start of World War (2014) and Gallipoli (2015) coincide with Hamilton’s 150th anniversary – it began as a military settlement in the Waikato War (186364). Hamilton marked the 50th anniversary of Gallipoli and the city’s centennial in 1964 with the Waikato Society of Arts’ first national retrospective exhibition of Moore-Jones’s work.

Newspaper reports and the coroner’s findings on the 1922 Hamilton Hotel fire – the worst in the city’s history – describe Moore-Jones’s heroism as “living up to the highest ideals of Anzac, giving his life for others”. He twice returned to the building to help save other guests

Speak up by end of January Entries for the 2013 ANZ RSA Cyril Bassett VC Speech Competition 2013 open on January 31.

Regional finals will be held in the week of March 6-10, with the national final in Wellington on March 27.

Year 12 and 13 students can enter. The eight regional winners will receive $1000 and a place in the national final, and earn $1000 for their schools. The national winner will travel to Gallipoli as part of the official New Zealand delegation for the 2013 Anzac Day commemorations.

South Africans organise in NZ Chris Pattison suspects there are 40-50 South African ex-service people in New Zealand – and he’s keen to find them. He’s the organiser of the New Zealand branch of the South African Military Veterans of Australasia (SAMVOA) group. To qualify, you need to have been in uniform or to have conscripted into the armed service, police or corrections.

“It’s a place for people to swap stories and keep the contacts alive, to provide cameraderie, friendship and support,” says Pattison.

“We want to preserve memories and commemorate those who were injured, or who fell in action.” He would like to see a formal presence on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services, as happens in Australia where the organisation has several hundred members.

He also sees potential for members in the Pacific Islands. Information/membership application form: Chris Pattison -021 2316612; ytrose@vodafone.co.nz.

4 News

RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

LIfE AT END Of ‘A VERy DARK TUNNEL’

By April 2013, New Zealand‘s forces will have gone from Afghanistan. Many of those who served there will carry physical – and very visible – scars. Many people will perceive these as ‘badges of honour’.

But, for many others, such as Bill Blaikie, the scars will run deep and unseen in their minds.

LINDY ANDREWS reports.

Lt Col Bill Blaikie was at the pinnacle of his military career in January 2004, when he was deployed to Afghanistan as deputy director of intelligence, Combined Forces Command.

With 20 years of military experience and a swag of university qualifications behind him, Blaikie worked directly with an American three-star general as part of the New Zealand contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom. His brief was to guide the intelligence effort towards quashing the counter-insurgency threat posed by the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

So began six months of gruelling, 16-hour days building the Security Analysis Group, and high-level decision-making aimed at flushing insurgents from their support, resources and cover within Afghani communities.

Counter-insurgency tactics are a world apart from conventional warfare, in which the enemy is easily identified and there is open combat between opposing forces.

“In Afghanistan, it’s classic counter-insurgency warfare,” says Blaikie. “You don’t know who you’re up against, and when you’re up against them. The Taliban and Al Qaeda are not conventional military forces; they look just like any other Afghani.”

For security reasons he is reluctant to discuss some of the incidents in which he became involved, but concedes he saw “some pretty horrific stuff”.

When, under his directive, lives were lost, he was plagued by feelings of guilt. These were, he

Lt Col Bill Blaikie, MNZM, in Turghundi on the Afghanistan/ Turkmenistan border in 2004.

believes, the first twinges of what would develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a condition that, in time, would destroy his career and almost end his life.

Back on home turf in 2005, Blaikie was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his efforts in Afghanistan.

Capt Kevin Frank, US Navy intelligence director of the Joint Forces Command, wrote: “Lt Col Blaikie’s performance at Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan has been brilliant. He has guided the intelligence effort here to new areas that have substantially increased the effectiveness of intelligence operations in support of decision-making and combat operations.

“His ability to anticipate intelligence needs

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has been the critical element in the success of the Intelligence Directorate. No less impressive were his abilities to work with the international community and substantially increase both coordination and trust between Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan, the United Nations and non-government organisations…He is the officer I want with me in combat.”

Despite the plaudits heaped on him by his peers, Blaikie felt little pride in his achievements.

“Even when I was made a Member of New Zealand Order of Merit, it was like a bit of a hollow victory as I still felt I had let people down, and some individuals had lost their lives.”

With those deaths playing heavily on his mind, Blaikie began to churn over his tactical decisions and outcomes, constantly asking himself if he or anyone else could have done things differently.

The feelings of guilt and anger reached a crescendo, nightmares set in, and his family and colleagues came under fire. He became easily bored, restless, and found it difficult to concentrate.

Although no longer under threat from insurgents, he remained hyper-vigilant, always looking over his shoulder, making sure that when he entered a room all the exits were covered, and sitting only in aisle seats when flying or at the movies.

When he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2006, he elected to “manage” the condition himself and self-medicated with alcohol. Ultimately, his marriage fell apart.

In the ensuing years, he took up demanding fixed-term roles with the Accident Compensation Corporation and the RNZAF Office of Strategy Management.

But still his PTSD raged – until early in 2012, he reached the end of his tether, making two attempts to end his life with a cocktail of prescribed medication and alcohol. The second attempt marked the beginning of the long road back.

“I remember my wife and my daughter coming to visit me in hospital once I had gained some sort of consciousness; the look in their eyes was my turning point in getting my life back on track. This was the first glimpse of that light at the end of a very dark tunnel – this light has never dimmed since.”

PTSD, Bill Blaikie has learned, does not go away. It will always be part of him. But, with the aid of a psychologist’s input and keeping himself fit, he now copes with it.

“It doesn’t leave you, but you learn to cope with it by managing the triggers. You don’t try and handle it all at once like I did, you break it down and then you assess things. There are multiple strategies.”

The New Zealand Defence Force and Veterans’ Affairs have done much to improve outcomes for armed services personnel suffering from mental disorders, but there is long way to go, he says.

He admits though that men are the toughest nuts to crack when it comes to seeking help.

To page 5

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RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

Daughter delivers ‘pretty powerful’ welcome back From page 4 “In 2005, when I got out, it wasn’t that good.

Now there are mechanisms in place. The Defence Force is working very hard to pick up and work with people who develop PTSD.” Blaikie has recently briefed senior army commanders on the real effects of PTSD, how to recognise the symptoms and how to approach personnel who came forward with mental issues.

He encourages armed-services personnel – serving or non-serving – who think they may have PTSD to contact their GP and then Veterans’ Affairs, which provides specialist case managers.

ACC help is also available for accepted claims.

Defence Force releases figures show a surge in the number of soldiers being assessed as having psychological conditions such as PTSD, depression and anxiety – from 39 cases in 2006 to 134 in 2011. There have been five suicides among armed-services personnel in the past six years.

Meanwhile, Blaikie has made it his mission to help others, setting up an on-line support group, ptsdyouarenotalone.org.nz.

“Reading other people’s stories really helps you get through. I’m now working with a US site, which has thousands of stories, to form a partnership.”

There are no certainties, no big career plans for the immediate future. He is, however, forever grateful that his family is reunited.

“I’ve no idea whether I’ll go back to what I did.

Initially that worried me a lot, but now I just roll with the punches and see where it takes me.”

His greatest reward came from his 16-year-old daughter, during a recent family outing.

“She hugged me and said: ‘I’ve got my Dad back.’ That’s pretty powerful.”

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MAKEOVER fOR ‘STIff BRITISH UPPER LIP’ Historically, PTSD has been known as shell-shock, battle fatigue, combat stress and neurasthenia.

During World War 2, emotionally shattered servicemen had their records rubber-stamped with perhaps the cruellest description of all: LMF, or Lack of Moral Fibre.

Thousands spent many months in United Kingdom and Irish hospitals recovering from vague and minor “ailments”. Traumatised Kiwi servicemen lucky enough to make it home were sequestered away from prying eyes at The Chateau Tongariro which, having done several years’ duty as an asylum, then served as a military hospital.

Less fortunate souls were left to “cope” in the most destructive of ways.

“Yes, they coped if you mean that on return they drank themselves to oblivion, beat their wives and one another, and, when sober, pretended it all was wonderful,” says clinical psychologist Llewellyn Richards-Ward.

“Coping also meant getting a small piece of land in a remote area…and they coped, as a friend of mine from long ago did, by giving away their religion and belief in people.”

The men who didn’t cope were often put in the “sharp end” of war, where the cure was death - or they sought to end their terror, either passively or actively, in heroic actions.

“The thing all of them did not like was the stalking nature of death, I think. Better to be certain or to cope – and hence avoid PTSD – by assuming they would never return and live as dead men walking.”

PTSD has manifested itself in numerous, often tragic, ways throughout history.

It was estimated that during the United States Civil War, up to 80% of soldiers never fired at the enemy. The evidence was in the dead, who had up to five undischarged powder loads in their firearms, Richards-Ward says.

“They loaded on command, but never fired.

In the US 109 Airborne, I think it was around

They coped if you mean they drank themselves to oblivion, beat their wives and one another, and, when sober, pretended it was wonderful.

Llewellyn Richards-Ward: PTSD has manifested itself in numerous, often tragic ways through history.

67% who never shot at a human being; they just fired in their general direction.

“So coping also was about being there but not actively killing, which would obviously give some psychological and moral protection from the horror - retaining one’s values in chaos.”

Richards-Ward says there is still some value in the “stiff British upper lip”, although it is undergoing a 21st century make-over.

The US Department of Defence now requires soldiers to undertake on-line resilience training, largely based on positive psychology programmes.

“They have identified that the ‘stiff upper lip’ is about resilience, which is lower now than previously,” says Richards-Ward said. There

was much speculation as to why, but it is not unreasonable to note that in earlier conflicts, there was less expectation of a long life, and mortality was closer to daily life.

“They also probably believed that war was social duty, that individual life and aspirations were less important.”

Up to 30% of people who experience a traumatic event go on to experience some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The symptoms can vary widely between individuals.

They include: • nightmares and flashbacks, feelings of isolation, anger, irritability and guilt; • problems with sleeping and/or concentrating; • avoidance – try to push memories of event out of mind and avoid talking about it; • repeatedly revisiting the event – constantly questioning why it happened to them and whether it could have been prevented; • hyper-arousal or hyper-vigilance – sufferers may be very anxious and find it difficult to relax, constantly alert for threats, and easily startled; • emotional numbing, or trying not to feel anything at all; • repression, anxiety and phobias, drug misuse or alcohol misuse, sweating, shaking, headaches, dizziness, chest pains and stomach upsets.

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RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

National Office

2013: yEAR Of THE WAR PENSIONS ACT REWRITE Don McIver, RNZRSA president

“The question above all others that has got to be tackled in sober earnest by you in New Zealand is how to make those of us who have the misfortune to lose an arm or leg or our eyesight into useful and self-supporting members of society...Of course the same spirit applies to the widows and the dependents of the men who are killed. We cannot put our hands too deeply into our pockets to provide for them as long as the money is wisely and economically spent.”

At National Council I quoted these prophetic words of Maj Gen Sir Andrew (Guy) Russell, commander of the New Zealand Division on the Western Front in 1917. Prophetic because, on his return home, he became dominion president of the RSA in 1922 and led the organisation in its successful push for the War Pensions Act 1923.

The June 2010 Law Commission Report on the War Pensions Act pointed to the urgent need to

modernise the outdated definitions, processes and administration of the 58-year-old act, and to develop law that will be fair and equitable both to the older and the more recent veterans.

One hundred and thirty-one of the report’s 170 recommendations have been adopted. (Details of the response to each recommendation are on the Veterans Affairs New Zealand website).

At National Council, prime minister John Key announced new funding of $60m over four years for a comprehensive rewrite of the act.

In the circular sent out to all associations and clubs I described the The Parliamentary Law Drafting Group timetable to prepare the bill for submission to the House in 2013: After the first reading, the bill will be passed to a select committee for public submissions.

After those hearings, the select committee will then prepare any recommendations it has for

New measure aims to avoid guest slip-ups David Williams, RNZRSA national manager hospitality Many members will know about the increased number of inspection visits by district licensing agents and police to RSAs. These inspections – referred to by the authorities as ‘controlled purchase operations’ – are intended to determine that clubs are selling liquor only to people they are authorised to (as holders of a club licence under the Sale of Liquor Act 1989).

The visits have highlighted that RSA club procedures are not working in assisting bar staff to identify bona fide customers to whom they are authorised to sell liquor. We’ve been using swipe-card access, door security or the signingin procedure, but none has proved effective in preventing the unauthorised sale of alcohol.

Authorised people include: • Any member of your RSA (they should have their membership card with them).

• Visitors from another club with which your RSA has reciprocal visiting rights (they should have their membership card with them).

• Any guest accompanied by a member of your RSA. Traditionally, guests have “signed themselves in”. However, providing them with access to the “sign-in” book also provides the public with access to the book. Members of the public have been signing themselves in, and we are not authorised to sell liquor to them.

To overcome this issue, the RSA National Office is introducing ‘guest welcome slips’.

These will be kept behind the bar and can be accessed only by members on presentation of their membership card. The member completes and signs the slip, then gives to the guest to present at the bar when buying liquor.

We believe this will ensure we comply with the liquor laws and provide the least amount of inconvenience to staff, members and their guests.

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amendment before taking the bill back to the House for the second reading.

If the bill passes into law, implementation is expected July 1, 2014.

The 5% increase in the War Disablement Pension will be implemented on April 1, 2013.

This will not inhibit your right to comment on that change at the select committee.

Past national president Robin Klitscher (who was centrally involved in preparing and overseeing the RSA’s submissions to the Law Commission), has agreed to advise and assist us in reviewing the draft bill and preparing our submissions to the select committee. His support will be invaluable.

The 2013 year will be important for us in many areas, but none more so than the provision of RNZRSA support services. In addition to our work on reviewing the rewrite of the War Pensions

Act we will be working hard to continue the production of the support-services training modules for support advisers.

We aim to make our service to all veterans (whether RSA members or not), service personnel, their dependents and the wider community comprehensive, up to date and relevant.

We pride ourselves on the support services we offer. This is how we honour those New Zealanders who have proudly served their country.

2012 has been an exciting, interesting and sometimes demanding year. I realise that for some there have been trials and challenges; for others it has heralded opportunities to grow and develop.

I hope you all have a safe and comfortable Christmas festive season and enter the new year refreshed and ready to face whatever it brings for you.

RSA with a view:

Pleni Annis Honorum Pleni – ‘full of years, of honours full’ Alistair Kerr The K.E.V – the King’s Empire Veterans –section of our RSA held its Christmas luncheon recently, with more than 60 wives, widows and caregivers attending. However, I couldn’t help noticing that, each year the numbers are fewer, and that gives me concern for the future of the K.E.V. The K.E.V is not a part of every RSA, but the movement much older than the RSA. It was founded as the Empire Veterans’ League back in 1900 by the then governor-general, Lord Ranfurly. With the South African War still raging, he felt there was a need for an organisation that would care for the needs of veterans. It gained its current name by Royal permission in 1911.

At the time the K.E.V. was formed, there were around 7000 veterans in New Zealand – imperial, colonial and ex-naval men, some with service dating to 1840. Members had fought in colonial wars in India and Africa from the 1840s, the Crimean War of 1854-55 and the early skirmishes with Maori, such as the “Flagstaff Incident” at Russell.

There were still 180 veterans of the Indian Mutiny of the 1850s and 39 from the Chinese War of 1855-60. There were 1320 holders of medals from the New Zealand Land Wars of the 1860s, and veterans from African campaigns, including the Zulu Uprising of 1878-79 and the Transvaal Campaign of 1880.

If our local group is typical, today’s K.E.V units include veterans of World War 2, Korea, Malaya and Vietnam, and possibly, by now, some who served in Timor L’Este, Bougainville, Sinai and Afghanistan.

But it’s there the problem lies for the future of the K.E.V. New Zealand’s involvement in campaigns of this century has, numerically, been very small. The pool for K.E.V. membership is also small.

The original criteria for membership was that you had to be over 65, to have served in the armed services and been awarded recognition for service in a war, conflict or occupational force or emergency waged by

K.E.V. can help ensure the continuance of what we call our ‘core values’. the Crown and sanctioned by the New Zealand government.

I believe the age criterion has been done away with and, of course, service in the Merchant Navy is now recognised.

What of the future for K.E.V.? By its very nature and current organisation,it is a gradually declining, self-destructing institution with too few new members to replace those who have died.

Yet, by its very nature, it is a valuable adjunct to the conventional RSA structure. It can provide a solid mainstay of members whose experiences and principles ensure the continuance of what we call our “core values”.

So, how is this happy arrangement to be continued?

I don’t have an easy answer to that question – not in any detail, anyway. What I do advocate, though, is that the national body that governs he K.E.V must look at ways in which to do two things: • Perhaps through the RNZRSA, ensure that all new RSA returned members are aware of the K.E.V.’s existence and are invited to join.

• Change the membership criteria to allow for the admission of associate members (as the RSA does), people who may not have had active military service, but who hold closely to the K.E.V’s original values, interests and aims.

I believe every K.E.V should be some sort of associate membership because I am sure that within the wider RSA membership, there are many people whose values are in line with those of the K.E.V. and whose membership would ensure its survival.

Let’s keep it alive.

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8 National Office / Opinions

RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

TIME TO GET ON THE ROAD Stephen Clarke, RNZRSA chief executive Summer is a time when Kiwis get on the road: whether on a well planned Christmas holiday, to the much loved bach or crib, or simply on a day-trip to their favourite “slice of heaven”.

This issue I’m sharing some of my favourite summer spots and experiences, which made me think how spoilt we are for choice in Aotearoa.

We know that some of our RSAs are in some very special summer spots and look forward to seasonal visitors.

At National Council this year we too got on the road when we unfolded the map for Centenary Road – A Strategic View for the RSA 2012-22. It covers a period that will see our nation and communities commemorating the centenary of World War 1; that period beginning in 2014, through Anzac Day 2015 and the RSA’s own centenary in 2016, and finishing with Armistice Day in 2018. But also what happens after this period.

Centenary Road also faces head on the challenges to our organisation. We have the perfect storm of challenges of an aging organisation competing for leisure dollar and leisure time during a global financial crisis with a smaller population of savvy Gen X & Y to replace the Baby Boom generation that has been our “go to” in recent years - while trying to catch up on

The resurgence of Anzac is building to a massive wave we can either ride or be wiped out by.

the need for an organisational shift that should have been addressed at least a decade ago.

Add to that the greatest opportunity as the biggest Anzac service ever in 2015 is fast dawning upon us. The resurgence of Anzac over the last three decades began as a small wave creeping up the beach is building to a massive wave we can either ride or be wiped out by!

Over the last three years our market research and brand development has been all about positioning for our future. Importantly, the future is now upon us.

So I guess we’re calling the big “T” – time out! This is what we know: • The Future is here. We have no more time.

• We know that “Doing what we’ve always done” isn’t an answer any more.

• We know we have to not only look different; we have to do things differently.

• We have to have a new vision and a plan.

Please take time to read a summary of Centenary Road Strategic View (see panel right).

It’s time to get the rubber on the road…

At National Office, a full review has begun so that we can serve the organisation better. We are working on a package to seek the commitment of your RSA, and you the members, to join with every other RSA on Centenary Road.

I wish RSA members and your families a wonderful summer. Spare a thought for our servicemen and women overseas this Christmas (and enjoying their RSA Christmas parcels thanks to your RSAs’ donations) and their families, who will be without their loved ones this festive season. I look forward to seeing many of you on the road this summer and in the new year.

Meri Kirimete and a Happy New Year from everyone at National Office.

Centenary Road — A Strategic View for the RSA 2012-22 WW100 (2014-18) is a once-in-a-century opportunity Are we ready? What are we short of?

– Funds – Skills – Plan Post WW100 (post-2018) Will we be relevant? What will be our reach?

In our favour: – A vision – A major opportunity – The will How do we get ourselves to a better place?

Shift our thinking: – From capitation to participation (funds – new revenue streams) – From caretaker to future-maker (skills, a plan – knowhow) – From exclusive to inclusive (reach – expand our relevance) Road Map 2013 2014 ---------------Transform

2015 2016 2017 ------------------------------Perform

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 ---------------------------------------------------------Reform

Next Stops on Centenary Road Over the next six months of the 2012-13 financial year RSA National will: – Review and transform National Office to serve RSAs better through: delivering advice to assist them to make the shift; improved marketing and communications; tackling our organisational technology gap; developing merchandise and sponsorships to support our centenary programme.

–To achieve this, we will develop a three-year plan with budgets through to 2016.

– In return, we will be talking to RSAs and seeking their commitment to join with every other RSA on Centenary Road.

NATIONAL COUNCIL LOOKS fORWARD TO CENTENARy More than 300 delegates had the opportunity to hear about the Centenary Road – A Strategic View for the RSA 2012-22 at the RNZRSA 2012 National Council in Wellington in October.

National president Don McIver welcomed delegates and overseas guests (this year from the Royal British Legion and the Australian RSL), and spoke of the importance of the new session format designed to address the core areas of strategy, welcome, support and remembrance.

The RNZRSA’s chief executive, Stephen Clarke, and manager national projects, Lisa Ellingham, presented the strategy to delegates on their return from the traditional Remembrance Service at the National War Memorial. At the welcome session, manager national hospitality David Williams addressed the need to raise and standardise the RSA offering through the implementation of minimum standards, and Lisa Ellingham surveyed the implementation of the new RSA brand since its launch in November 2011.

In the support session, manager national support Margaret Snow presented a future view of RSA Support Services, then the director of defence health, Surgeon Capt Alison Drewry spoke on what the future health needs of current NZDF personnel are likely to be.

A real eye-opener came from Royal British Legion chairman John Farmer, who showed how the legion had transformed itself from disparate local branches into a national charity targeting £42m in its November poppy appeal for its extensive support programme.

The formal opening included emotion with an on-screen tribute to servicemen and women killed in Afghanistan. In formally opening the council, governor-general Lt Gen Sir Jerry Mateparae conveyed this message from Queen Elizabeth II: “As your patron, I much appreciate your kind words on the 60th anniversary of my

Guests at the RNZRSA 96th National Council cocktail reception (from left) Student Volunteer Army (SVA) president Peter Jakowetz, SVA communications manager Gina Scandrett, RSL national president Ken Doolan and Elaine Doolan, SVA member Christopher Duncan, Canterbury University Students’ Association president Erin Jackson.

accession to the throne and, in return, send my best wishes to all those who are present for a most successful and enjoyable gathering.” Mateparae then presented the RNZRSA Trophy, the cadet community services award, to the Opotiki College Cadet Unit (story, page 2); unit members had earlier carried in the RNZRSA banner during the opening flag ceremony.

Prime minister John Key released a major announcement on the Government’s response to the re-write of the War Pensions Act. Don McIver concentrated on the RSA’s ongoing mission and he introduced a group of overseas service guests, including representatives of next-of-kin, navy, army, air force and police.

The evening concluded with Student Volunteer Army representatives Peter Jakowetz and Gina Scandrett speaking on what the army’s 2012

Anzac of the Year award has meant to their group.

Day 2 began with the remember session and an address by Jonathan Brumley, winner of the 2012 National Bank RSA Cyril Bassett VC Speech Competition. Do McIver presented the Government’s WW100 structure and programme for 2014-18 and Chris Mullane, chair of the RNZRSA remembrance committee, spoke on the RSA’s proposed programme, including its own centenary in 2016. RSL national president Ken Doolan updated delegates on the developing programme in Australia.

Delegates were treated to a surprise Great Anzac Day brunch-style morning tea to emphasise that it is as easy as a “coffee and a bacon butty”, and had the opportunity to talk with trade exhibitors promoting wares as varied as Anzac biscuits to ATMs, hospitality goods to remembrance travel.

The remainder of the Tuesday and the following morning were taken up with annual-meeting business. The annual report and financials were presented (details on www.rsa.org.nz) and resolution was reached on the poppy issue.

National president Don McIver and national vice-presidents BJ Clark and David Moloney were returned, while Clive Collingwood, Robert Hill, Graeme Pleasants, and John Smith were elected to the National Executive Council. Other new members are district presidents Ian McDougal (Northland), Pat Johnson (Auckland) and Derek Nees (Nelson/Marlborough/Westland). Don McIver acknowledged the service of outgoing district presidents D’Arcy Bailey, Peter Mason and Bill Hunter.

Delegates got on the road knowing there was much to communicate to their RSAs back home.

9

RSA REVIEW • SummER 2012

summer Loves Summer means holidays – or at least holiday mode – for most Kiwis. Everyone has their favourite places and their favourite ways to relax. We asked our RSA Review writers – Lindy Andrews, Jo Bailey, Dion Crooks, Neil Grant, Karen Phelps and Sue Russell – to come up with a few thoughts about holiday things and places. And we got RNZRSA chief executive Stephen Clarke in on the act because we needed another bloke in the interests of gender balance.

We hope you enjoy their thoughts, and perhaps pick up a few ideas to try for yourself. The observant among you may notice that Lindy Andrews and Neil Grant do not appear to have answered the questions. There’s a good reason for that. They didn’t. The editor was certainly not surprised. The only surprise was that their offering was still broadly related to the topic.

Their “alternative” summers run separately.

favourite/special places Bailey Hard to pick a favourite: toasting my toes on a sunny day in Kaikoura; enjoying a wine on the deck of a good friend’s isolated farmhouse in the magnificent North Otago countryside; car cricket with the kids on a summer road trip.

Places are great, but it’s the people you’re with who create the memories.

Clarke A beach, any beach, and in New Zealand we have so many great beaches. Some of my favs: Horseshoe Bay (Stewart Island), Kaka Point (Catlins), St Clair (Dunedin), Totaranui (Abel Tasman National Park), Day’s Bay (Wellington), Waimarama (Hawke’s Bay), Mt Maunganui, Piha, Oakura Bay (Northland).

Crooks Mason Bay, on the south side of Stewart Island.

Remote. Wild. Magnificent dune-formation as

What rocks socks?

Bailey Simple pleasures – good food, good wine, good company. It’s great to step off the treadmill, have a breather and catch up with those neglected family members and friends we promise to see but never quite manage to during the year.

Clarke Plenty of swims.

a backdrop. Next stop: Antarctica.

Phelps Willow Lodge, Craigieburn Station, Canterbury.

It’s the original homestead and owned by friends.

It’s back to the basics: no power, no water and a long drop with a magnificent view of the mountains – although the cows do look a bit startled if they happen to see you on the dunny.

Russell Not carrying ‘wandering bones’, it’s perfectly lovely to pack a picnic, my favourite fold-down chair, hat and book, head to Wainui Reserve overlooking Raglan Harbour and beyond to the Tasman Sea (maybe pluck up courage to pack as bottle of wine – despite the liquor ban over Raglan’s busy Christmas/New Year. Big thumbs up to council foresight in buying a coastal farm, and turning it into a jewel of a recreation space for all to enjoy.

Summer swimming at Days Bay, Wellington.

Crooks Daylight. You can get so much more into a day.

Phelps Camping out in the countryside by a river where you can’t see or hear civilisation. Taking a dip in the river and reading a good book on the warm riverbed.

A favourite summer a place – but please, don’t startle the cows.

Russell Outdoor bowls, especially on overcast days and in the company of good friends. The Raglan Bowling Club is a little gem, and sports all sorts of personalities and temperaments. Fortunately very few are not good sports or get too worked up if they don’t bowl well. In my dream match, I would have perfected the yard-on shot that continues to elude me.

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10 Summer Loves

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

Neil Grant’s multi-choice summer Summer is ‘Icumen In’ according to some 13th century balladeer. He then went on to sing, ‘Lhude sing cuccu!’ which is alleged to mean, ‘Loudly sing, cuckoo!’. So, why not go cuckoo for a few moments, and design your own ‘igoin out’. At the least, it will be a token summer diversion.

6 What are sensational summer sensations for you? (Taste, touch, sight sound, smell.)

The smell of new-mown hay?

Bikini-clad teenagers frolicking in the surf?

(Be careful which senses you nominate here.)

Other …...............................................................

1 What is your favourite summer place?

Downtown Queen St Atop Mt Ruapehu Other ….............................................................

2 What makes it special to you?

The crowds of happy people?

The complete lack of the above?

Other …..............................................................

3 What is your favourite summer pastime?

Repairing the bach?

Doing a crossword?

Other …..............................................................

4 Why does it turn you on?

You love being really busy?

You love doing beggar all?

Other ….......................................................

5 What would be your dream day or night out? (Drop all inhibitions here.)

A cup of tea with John Key Fermented sweet corn with Hone Harawira (and/or his mother) Other ...............................................................

7 What do you do or where do you go when you want to get away from it all in summer?

Ponder the vicissitudes of life?

Hide in the garden shed?

Other …............................................................

8 What would rock your socks this summer? (A challenge, something demanding, just relaxing.)

Drinking kava in Fiji?

Cleaning out the septic tank?

Other…...............................................................

9 What is your favourite summer gear?

Walk shorts and walk socks?

A maid’s uniform?

Other….......................................................

10 When all else fails, you’ve run out of ideas, the booze has run out, what’s the stand-buy you know will do the trick for you?

A double shot of Laphroaig?

Watching reruns of Jim Hickey pretending he knows something about meteorology?

Other ….............................................................

Just goes to prove: If you’re looking for your jandals, don’t sit on the fence.

The prime of fashion Bailey Summer essentials: maxi-dress and jandals, jeans and a tee for lounging around, something a bit glam for a night out or summer party. My must-wear garment for cooler nights around the campfire is a 1970s Starsky and Hutch-style zip-up cardigan that lives in a wardrobe at the bach. I was once told I dress like a magpie for my willingness to throw anything and everything together. I’m not sure that’s a compliment.

Clarke A t-shirt and old school swimming trunks (no budgie smugglers so that you can leave the beach to get the kids an ice-cream and not look like you’re in underwear!)

Clarke Simply enjoying time with my five daughters – no interruptions by calls and emails so much rarer than any other time of the year. Priceless.

Crooks The time-honoured stand-by. Grab a pen and a handful of puzzles, and settle in on the toilet.

Phelps I head into Auckland’s Waitakere ranges.

Lindy Andrews’ lazy, hazy, crazy summer I’m doing a road trip that will take me – and my trusty mutt, Gus Barker – from Hawke’s Bay to my favourite place in the world, Raglan.

In the boot will be the obligatory Christmas pressies, a few clothes (no great fashion statements here; just jeans, togs, shorts and t-shirts), my fishing rod, tackle box and Nordic walking poles. If I feel so inclined, I’ll chuck my bike on its rack as well.

The last 50km from Hamilton to Raglan will be driven with a delicious sense of anticipation.

Once I crest the last hill and get my first glimpse of the Raglan pub and the township’s trademark palm trees, I’ll wind the car windows right down and drive along Cliff Road to reacquaint myself with the salt-laden air, pohutukawa and that glittering harbour.

My dear friend Ann will be there to greet us with hugs (or pats) and a cuppa while we do the annual Christmas tree inspection and add my contribution to the pile of gifts.

Then it’s time for a good natter before I head off for a snooze, succumbing to the soporific effects of sea breezes and the sound of water lapping at the bottom of the garden.

After a fabulous dinner and a few chocolatey indulgences, there’s more talk (oh boy, can we talk!) and, if the tide is right, it’s time to slather

on the insect repellent for a spot of night fishing off of the sea wall.

If I’m lucky, I’ll get a respectable snapper or two – or maybe have some fun grappling with a feisty kahawai. If not, the view of the night sky and the marine life at my feet will more than compensate for disappointment. Now and then the water will boil with tiny fish and seconds later, I’ll stand fascinated as a stingray ripples silently by. Meanwhile, Gus will stand, perplexed, as he always does, wondering why he’s not allowed to rush out to retrieve my bait and hook.

Over the next few days, I’ll gain a Christmas kilo or two, then hope to whittle them away with long walks, swimming or kayak trips across the harbour. Maybe the orcas will honour us with a rare visit, causing a commotion up and down the street as locals and visitors flood to the water’s edge for a look.

If the weather packs up, no problem – it’s a perfect excuse to paint, draw, go head to head with the NZ Herald’s diabolical cryptic crossword puzzler, Kropotkin, or read a decent whodunit. Maybe I’ll head off to my favourite Raglan hairdresser for a bit of pampering, or indulge in a bit of retail therapy. Raglan retailers do off-beat very well, which is right up my alley.

Crooks As little as possible – shorts, t-shirt and jandals, preferably scruffy.

Phelps A summer dress, cotton cardigan as I get sunburned easily, lots of sunblock and a hat and the Kiwi staple – jandals.

Russell Once I’ve lost those kilos I’m currently walking off, I can imagine sweeping round the house in a lava lava – a long wrapped creation in bold floral colours, tied around the neck. Simple, light and breezy – a different colour for each day.

Where to when it all gets too much?

Bailey My partner’s bach at a surf spot north of Kaikoura where I try to do little more than throw together a salad to go with whatever he is cooking on the barbecue, pour another glass of something, and turn another page of my book.

Raglan is Lindy Andrews’ favourite place in the world. So, guess where she’s going this summer.

The bush is always a good place to escape the summer heat and go for a hike. There is also one particular walk near Piha Beach which ends in a waterfall which is a great spot for a dip and a spell.

Russell Got to be knitting. Requires determination, patience, faith and dollops of hearty laughter as well as a respectful appreciation of technical deficiencies when the stitches get dropped. Sitting at Blacksand Café each Wednesday morning as I do with Raglan’s Knitting Circle – I have long wanted to knit a corset out of fine cashmere, sculpted and boned and give it to some sporty young thing with sensational body to wear with a pair of jeans. Not a pipe-dream – this will happen.

Kawau Island...yes, it does have dreamy look.

Dream outing

Bailey If I’m using someone else’s credit card, my dream 24 hours would be to hop on a plane to Melbourne for a day at the tennis, copious coffees and wines, a fabulous dinner and show, followed by brunch and shopping the next morning. I hope the right person is reading this.

Clarke Taking my partner (sans children) for dinner at a great restaurant with friendly and attentive service, wonderful food and wine.

Crooks Under a clear, night sky in the mountains. It’s amazing how many stars emerge as you escape from the murky city atmosphere.

Phelps Sleeping in a tent and waking up north by a

gorgeous beach with flowering pohutukawas.

Followed by going for a dip before magically being transported to a winery in Kumeu, a small town 25 kilometres north-west of Auckland for lunch outdoors with friends. In the afternoon I’d catch the ferry to Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf, stroll around and hang out on the beach before ending up in a tango dance in Auckland city.

Russell Venturing over the tricky Raglan bar on large luxurious vessel, complete with all the necessaries. Hardly feeling a bump, cruising along the coast at the 50m mark (I’m not a fisher, but I’ve heard this is where the big ones get caught).

Listening to Eva Cassidy’s complete collection, singing along with that spookily gorgeous voice she possessed. Staying out on the boat until sunset, crossing back over the bar with the last heat of the setting sun on my back.

Summer Loves 11

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

Sensational sensations Bailey Late-afternoon sun on the skin; sounds of the sea; fragrant daphne bushes; lemons straight off the tree, sliced and popped into a gin and tonic; tui and bellbirds singing; breaking into crayfish from a roadside stall; steaks sizzling on the barbie; stars in a clear night sky; songs around the campfire; toasted marshmallows dripping off manuka sticks; great conversation and laughter. A classic summer evening at the bach is enough to tickle my senses.

Clarke The sight of pohutukawa in flower, the smell

of Christmas lilies, the sound of champagne cork on New Year’s Eve, the taste of Central Otago summer fruit, and a cold beer in hand.

Crooks The sight of a classy Central Otago pinot, and the smell, feel and taste as it slithers softly down. Sounds wonderful.

Phelps The taste of fish and chips, the smell of the sea, the feel of the sun on my skin and unfortunately today often the sound of cell phones beeping.

Just the place to educate a four-and-a-half-year-old.

How to make a Kiwi’s Christmasses all come at once...a beach complete with pohutukawa.

If all else fails Bailey A pile of great books, a block of Whittakers peanut chocolate, and a few good glasses of pinot (booze has run out? You’ve got to be joking – thank goodness for that emergency bottle in the back of the pantry!) This is definitely a year-round fall-back – in summer lying outside on the hammock or at the beach; in winter, on a comfy couch in my PJs. Clarke Under a tree with a magazine or the latest history.

Crooks Up a mountain and into that inspiring zone above the bushline. Failing that, any hill will do.

Phelps A stroll on the beach from St Heliers to Mission Bay with a friend followed by fish and chips on the beach with lashing of Wattie’s tomato sauce ending in the obligatory attack by a flock of seagulls wanting the scraps.

Russell Getting to grips and actually writing a little children’s story based on reality – my cat, Scratch, wants to eat my treasured bantam hens, Lucy, The Twins and Brown Bum. Finding the way to blend the scary, the suspenseful, the funny, the tragic, the macabre and the adventure of it all in a way that will make it a real page-turner for kids. Name of main human character and Mum to hens already decided – Polly Puddlewuddle.

Wind up the adrenalin Bailey This summer I’m determined to spend more time in the bush, up a mountain or beside the water. I’d also like to learn to play a few chords on the guitar. I may combine the two as it is probably wise I am in a remote location when I attempt the guitar. Especially if I try to sing along.

Clarke The first swim of the summer out to the pontoon at Day’s Bay.

Crooks Another tramp (just a couple of hours) with my four-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter.

It’s educational – for both parties.

Phelps A place called Spookers in Auckland. It’s a haunted house set in an old insane asylum.

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12

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

Remembering – Lost Trails like to return them. Contact: Jennifer Frost - 09 2998117; frostworldwide@hotmail.com.

Whilst Wilma Gilmour and her cousin were visiting Dunure (Ayrshire, Scotland), they were told about war graves in the Dunure Cemetery. They visited and discovered that the graves were of New Zealand airmen killed in World War 2. Wilma photographed the gravestones. She will be visiting her son in Auckland next Easter next year and can bring photos or information on the graves. Contact: Wilma Gilmour – drewfors@ gmail.com.

World War 1 medals belonging to John Alexander Greer 53353 Rifleman were left in a trunk in New Zealand when he went to Australia about 60 years ago. His grandson, also John Greer, thinks that the person they were left with gave them to the Salvation Army. Contact: John Greer - jhlsg@bigpond.com.

Anyone know anything about Nurse Clara Lucas, whose name is World War 1/2 honours board at the Kaiwaka War Memorial Hall, which was built 60 years ago. Nurse Lucas’s name is called, along with other local soldiers who died or were killed in World War 1, every Anzac Day, at the Hakaru & Districts RSA service of the celebration; but the RSA has no record of why she is on ‘call’ list or the honours board, of how or where she died. Nurse Clara Lucas, nee Thornton, was born in 1875, the daughter of Margaret and George William Thornton. She went to Kaiwaka Primary School, and married Henry Lucas in 1896 (he died in 1906). The Kaiwaka centennial (1859-1959) history mentions that “three young ladies saw service with the nursing division”. The others were her sister (Mrs Saunders) and Miss Hilda Donaldson (who became Mrs Vellenoweth). Her brother, George Alfred Thornton, 42230, was killed in 1917; another brother, James William Thornton, was wounded, and a third brother, Kenneth Thornton, also served. Her sister, Katherina (Ina) Saunders, is also on the Kaiwaka honours board - she married Edward Heat Saunders in 1899, and received an MBE in England as a VAD at No 3 General Hospital, Codford, United Kingdom. She did not have children. Contact: Lindsey Hargreaves - R.D.2, Kaiwaka 0573; 09 4312045; linz.harg@xtra.co.nz.

Rex Tindall is seeking information on World War 2 and Korean War medals belonging his father, Reginald Sydney Tindall. He also wonders if there was a RSA with a Post Office Box 10-015 address at Balmoral, Auckland (he thinks this RSA could be a link to his father). After searching for more than 30 years, Rex has discovered that Reg, a World War 2 and Korea veteran, died in Auckland in 1981. Rex is now piecing together his father’s life from the time Reg left Australia to his death. Rex is also trying to recover Reg’s war medals so that he can pass them on to his own son, who has served overseas for Australia. Reg Tindall’s service numbers were QX60828, 1/3009 and 1/400032.

He had three because he upped his age to enlist for World War 2, re-enlisted for Korea in K-Force, then resigned after Korea until 1966. Contact: WO1(rtd) Rex Tindill – rkt01@activ8.net.au.

Information sought in search for medals that belonged to David Ivon Porteous, Sapper 62881, NZ Engineers Divisional Signal Company, who died, aged 33, at Brockenhurst on November 14, 1918. It is believed that his medals and personal effects were sent to his mother, Mrs Beatrice Porteous, who lived in Fitzroy St, Dunedin. Contact: Ruth Porteous - strugglersridge@ clear.net.nz.

Contact sought with family of World War 1 veteran Pte J K Liptroit, 61688 (NZEF). Jennifer Frost has found two medals inscribed J.K.Liptroit amongst her grandfather’s medals and would

The ‘tag’ part of what was an ID wrist band/bracelet, with Ken Stewart NZ 431206, and the insignia/badge of the Royal Con/Com/Cdn? Air Force has come into the possession Lyn Goldsworthy. Another name is engraved on the back, which possibly indicates this person gave the item to Ken Stewart. Ltn would like to see the item to Ken Stewart’s family. Contact: Lyn Goldsworthy – l.goldy@yahoo.co.nz.

Contact sought with relatives of Pte D.L.Rees, died of wounds September 27, 1943, and Cpl A.W.Riddell, killed in action September 27, 1943, during their capture of a Japanese lugger in Timbama Bay, not far from Boro, during the Solomon Islands campaign.

Peter Sugden - the son of the late Lt Col Sugden, who commanded 37 NZ Bn in the campaign and wrote a book (Pacific Saga) on the battalion’s history and war exploits – has been following the battalion’s footsteps in Guadalcanal and Vella Lavella. He videoed and recorded the beach landing areas and areas of fighting, and came across these two memorial plaques in Boro, a northern bay near Dovelli Cove. Contact: Peter and Cheryl Sugden - 7 Charles St, Westshore, Napier; 06 8357280; suggy@xtra.co.nz.

An elderly Irish priest in Western Australia is trying to trace a man whose surname was Reidy from county Clare, Ireland who served in the army in World War 1. His brother could have been in the army too. Any information welcome. Contact: Margaret Evans - mevans51@westnet.com.au.

If you knew, or know anything about, John (‘Buzz’) Denison Bartholemew Daly, from Waimate, his grandson, Liam Daly, would like to hear from you. John Daly was a sergeant major in World War 2; he fought in the Battle of El Alamein and was injured during October 1942. Liam has a photo of a sergeants’ mess in Maadi, Egypt with him. John was also involved in an accident at Waiouru where a truck carrying several troops plunged off a washed-out bridge in bad weather; some soliders were killed and the rest were injured.

Contact: Liam Daly - liamdaly1983@gmail.com.

When Tim White captained the British Army rugby league team tour of New Zealand in 2001, he was hosted by Armed Forces personnel. Now retired and a member of the British Legion, he would to re-establish contact with these people, especially SSgt Hiko (Hicksy), who was the liaison officer for the tour. If you were one of these people, or have contact details for them, he would appreciate hearing from you. Contact: Tim White – timnick10@yahoo.co.uk.

If you served in the Middle East and can remember what you got up in your off-duty hours, Brigid Kelly would be keen to talk to you. She’s a dancer and researcher who has been studying the dances and music of the Middle East, with a particular interest in Egypt, for 15 years. A woman Brigid interviewed for her 2008 master’s thesis looking at bellydance in New Zealand recalled how her interest in dance and music was inspired by her father. He had been stationed in Cairo for most of the war and returned with stories of seeing dancers perform, and LPs of music. Brigid Kelly is enthused about learning more about the experiences of Kiwi soldiers in Maadi and Cairo, particularly their leisure activities...western-style dances put on for overseas servicemen, nightclubs, movie theatres, shopping markets. She does not yet have a formal outcome for this research, but thinks it might become part of a publication. She would use

consent forms in line with ethics-approved research, and says she is aware that some memories can be painful and would seek to be as sensitive as possible.

Contact: Brigid Kelly - zumarrad@gmail.com.

Keith (Flash) Gordon would appreciate contact from anyone who served with 7 Ptn, A Coy, 26 Bn 1945.

Contact: Keith Gordon - 2/28 Johnston Rd, Mossman 4873, Queensland, Australia; Phone 0061 7 40981705.

Medal found: 1914-1918 4474ES J. Willox. Relatives sought. Contact: J.D. Drake - 269 Hilton Highway, Timaru 7910.

If you know anything about a RSA badge NZ 43288 (see photo above) lost in Christchurch, Andrew Harrison. He has it and would love to return it to its original owner, family or relatives. Andrew, who does a bit of metal detecting, found the badge at Hagley Park. It was 12-15cm deep, so had probably been there for a good number of years. He has checked the Cenotaph database but the number does not register to a soldier. Contact: Andrew Harrison - 029 4443001; arharrison@clear.net.nz.

Brian Gilbert’s family has visited the grave of Sgt Gallie,416477, NZ Air Force for many years. He is buried in Ann’s Hill Cemetery, Gosport, England. They can supply photos of the grave should any family be interested. Contact: Brian Gilbert (ex-Grenadier Guard) - bm.gilbert@yahoo.co.uk.

Garry Mellon, a retired Royal Australian Navy submarine engineering officer, inquires whether any New Zealand ex-services member were directly involved with SOE/SOA and RN submarines, and have any information about the deaths of New Zealand or Australian personnel being transported in or crew members of Allied submarines during World War 2.

During the latter half of the war, the Special Operations Executive, and Special Operations Australia ran a training base at Garden Island, south of Fremantle, Western Australia, training operatives in the use of Welcraft (‘Sleeping Beauties’) submersible attackcanoes and WelFreighter re-supply submersibles. He would like to hear from anyone with knowledge of these operations and could advise of New Zealand or Australian personnel who were killed (in South-East Asia or Europe) whilst trialling or operating these vessels. Contact: Garry J. (Gus) Mellon – gusmellon@ hotmail.com.

Information sought on New Zealand internees in the World War 1 Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp in Germany. Roger Thomas is making a film and Jacqueline Cook is writing a book about these men and their story.

Input from descendants welcome - photographs, letters, stories and diaries, additions/corrections to the POW internee list (see PDF on Descendants page of www.facesofholzminden.com website). Contact: Jacqueline Cook – jcook@facesofholzminden.com; www.facebook.com/facesofholzminden.

Information wanted about Cpl George James Glassford (right hand of middle row), who was born in Napier in 1891 and joined 9 Hawke’s Bay Regiment (Hastings Rifles) around 1912. He was shot in the chest and eye at Gallipoli, was sent to Egypt to recover and then to Western Front as a quartermaster (because of his eyesight). He returned to Napier at the end of the war, but in 1919 left for Kenya where he developed a coffee farm. His son, John Glassford, who was born in 1944, remembers that Anzac Day was a sacred occasion in their home in Kenya. George died in 1954. Contact: John Glassford - jacksflat@gmail.com.

If you were part of the RNZAF 14 and 41 squadrons stationed, or even passing through, Korat Airbase, Thailand in the early to mid-1960s, Margaret Snow would like to hear from you. She is seeking reminiscences and photographs, and would particularly like to hear from anyone at Korat between February and May 1964 and had anything to do with SEATO Exercise Ah Boon Choo. Contact: Margaret Snow - 04 3847994; margarets@rsa.org.nz.

Messandra Broughton would like information about her grandfather, John Raymond Broughton (June 29,1926-1998) and her great-grandfather, Mahuta Honana. Contact: Messandra Broughton – messandra@facebook.com.

Flt Lt David Cameron Stewart, who was killed on air operations on May 13, 1944, is buried in a garden in Zeeland, in the Netherlands. The property-owners would like to make contact with his family or anyone who can help find them. Flt Lt Stewart’s parents were Mrs and Mrs D.W.Stewart, of Dunedin. He was born on January 21, 1919, attended Otago Boys’ High School and joined New Zealand Railways as a clerical cadet.

He enlisted for aircrew training on April 9, 1940, was at Levin and Wigram, then sailed for England on the Rangitata on October 31, 1940. After training at Uxbridge (England) and Morayshire (Scotland), he was posted to 149 Sqn at Mildenhall as a Wellington bomber pilot. After 20 operational flights, he was transferred to operational training unit (where he did four more operational flights). In January 1944 he trained as a Pathfinder and joined 83 (Pathfinder) Sqn at Huntingdon and then 635 (Pathfinder) Sqn in Norfolk. He did another 10 operations with these units. His aircraft failed to return from the last – to Hasselt, in Holland. Contact: Steve Orr – 027 4341131; orrsem@clear.net.nz George Thomas Whitlock, from New Manor Farm, Winterslow, near Salisbury, left England about 1860 with his younger brother, Anthony Edwin Whitlock. Their parents were George and Elizabeth Anne (nee Gale). N.B.Cresswell – now 89, a member of the Royal British Legion, and former Royal Navy and Home Guard - is a great grandson on Elizabeth Whitlock’s second marriage; the brothers were sons of her first marriage. Mr Cressell has traced Anthony to Victoria, Australia where he died in 1921 without children. He thinks it is possible George could have come to New Zealand and been involved in the Maori Wars. He wonders if any of these names appear in a family history. Contact: N.B.Cresswell, 7 Parmiter Way, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 2BS, England; 01202 881378.

13

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

‘my ShouT’, TAxmAN TeLLS The veTerANS Karen Phelps It’s a story to warm the cockles of any heart: a group of New Zealand-based, British war veterans left out in the cold and unable to attend a ceremony acknowledging their World War 2 service were rescued by the generosity of a businessman.

Ian Kuperus, from Tax Management New Zealand, says a newspaper article alerted him to the fact that these United Kingdom-born Royal Air Force war veterans now living in New Zealand were not eligible for a New Zealand government grant to travel to London for the unveiling of the new $12m Bomber Command memorial in June.

He decided to do something about it and enlisted the necessary help to organise a trip for them.

“Here was a generation that had stepped forward and made a huge commitment, and we in our generation are enjoying the benefits of that. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something to help as these guys aren’t going to be around forever and a day. It’s easy to get tied up in our everyday lives and forget that they essentially gave up a good part of their youth [to fight in the war].”

On the trip were Aucklanders Harry Cammish, Des Hall, Doug Williamson and Wally Halliwell, and Eddie Leaf, from Hamilton. Kuperus and his wife, Wendy, accompanied them, along with a doctor, a tour leader and support people.

Harry Cammish, now 90, was a 19-year-old flight engineer during World War 2. When his Lancaster was shot down, he managed to get out of the plane, was found by the French Resistance and helped to escape over the Pyrenees.

He says he was disappointed and disgruntled to find out he did not qualify for the New Zealand

government grant because he flew with the British RAF 50 Sqn. “I had lived in New Zealand since moving here in 1956 and I’m a naturalised Kiwi.”

When he heard that Ian Kuperus was offering to shout the men a trip business-class, and that they could take someone with them, he thought he was having his leg pulled.

The 10-day trip included a ceremony especially for them at the Bomber Command memorial, visits to airfields at Lincolnshire where they had served, a ride on the ground in a Lancaster bomber, and visits to war museums.

They also had an opportunity to catch up with old flying mates, friends and family.

“It really was a walk down memory lane,” says Harry Cammish, who has been back to England only once. “It was very emotional laying the wreath at the memorial to the Bomber Command boys and looking down the list of names. The memories also came flooding back when we went to some of the old airfields; when the Lancaster’s Merlin engine kicked into life, that really took me back.”

Another touching moment was when they met a group of children gathered around a Lancaster at the RAF Museum in Hendon.

“Their teacher told them we had flown in planes like that and the kids started asking us all sorts of questions.”

He knew the others on the trip only by sight

The group gets together pre-tour at the Museum of Transport & Technology in Auckland. From left, Harry Cammish, Walter Halliwell, Ian Kuperus, Des Hall, Eddie Leaf and Doug Williamson.

from NZ Bomber Command Association meetings in Auckland: “That will change. We’ve had a great time together and we’ve become good cobbers.

In fact, we’re having another get-together soon at Ian’s property on Waiheke Island.”

Kuperus says his stand-out memory was simply being able to spend time with the men and hear their stories: “They’ve still got a lot of spirit and courage. It was a delight to spend time with them. It has been a very rewarding experience.”

It’s easy to forget that they essentially gave up a good part of their youth.

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New support trust formed Governor-general Lt Gen Sir Jerry Mateparae is the patron of a charitable trust formed to provide support for the families of soldiers killed or injured on operations overseas.

Established by a group of people with strong ties to the New Zealand Defence Force, the New Zealand Fallen Heroes Trust is loosely modelled on similar international initiatives.

It aims to fund projects that make a difference to the lives of affected people and their families.

The trust is raising funds to provide support to the families of all New Zealand casualties since 1999, which was when troops were first sent to Timor-Leste.

14 Remembering

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

The LAST PoST WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

A

AITKEN M 232941 14/10/12 Dunedin AMON J 624926 RNZA 20/07/12 Auckland ANDERSON JC 426014 RAF Sigs 01/08/12 Oamaru ANDREWS VS 48967 WWII 2NZEF Army 03/10/12 Nelson ASHBY HE 134084 JForce 19AFC 21/09/12 Te Puke ASHBY K 38078 02/07/12 Devonport ASHFORD LC MN CMT 24/10/12 Katikati ASHTON ST 249309 WWII 27Bn 07/08/12 Taradale ATKINS EG WWII RAF 485Sqn 16/10/12 Thames AUSTIN C 617363 11/11/12 Dunedin B

BAKER KF 301337 K Force NZA 04/09/12 Whangarei BAKER WT 439709 WWII NZA 15/01/12 Wellington BANAS S 30066373 WWII BEF 02/09/12 Wanganui BARLOW M 14823039 Germany 18/06/12 Thames BAWDEN OM NZ4311507 WWII RNZAF 10/08/12 Tauranga BEAUVAIS MJ FS7980 WWII RNZN 23/09/12 Ashburton BELCHER VF 10598 WWII RNZN 18/09/12 Whangarei BELL JG NZ426089 3071 WWII RNZAF NZA 12/09/12 Kerikeri BELL WS ATC 25/10/12 Mt Maunganui BELLAMY D 14861945 WWII 09/09/12 Auckland BENNETT CR 446280 WWII RNZA Div Cav RNZAF 21/10/12 Christchurch BLAKE LH 63911 WWII NZA 34Bn 02/09/12 Whangarei BLAKEMORE ED 443090 WWII 11/11/12 Mt Maunganui BLEAKEN LR NZ11083 WWII RNZN 26/10/12 Hamilton BLOOMFIELD BR NZ424036 WWII RNZAF 20/10/12 Waiwera BLYTH BF 624072 WWII NZA 25Fld Bty 12/10/12 Takaka BONNINGTON RF 630240 WWII RNZA 27MG Bn 01/11/12 Christchurch BOOTH BW 4130513 RAF 28/09/12 Darfield BOOTH RB 433230 WWII Air Force 17/09/12 Whangaparaoa BOURKE J NZD3633 WWII 09/10/12 Turangi BOWMAST WC 375809 WWII Army 07/06/12 Whangaparaoa BRADSHAW H 6030018 WWII British Army 12/09/12 Howick BRAINES RHG 402571 WWII RNZAF 02/10/12 Paraparaumu BRASSETT HD 6092565 WWII British Army 28/08/12 Invercargill BROWN JE 436909 WWII RNZAF 13/09/12 Dargaville BROWN M 103881 WWII 36Bn 25/09/12 Palmerston Nth BROWN PJ 81564 WWII 2NZEF Arm Corp 08/09/12 Temuka BROWN TP 288278 WWII 2NZEF 5 & 7Fld Coy 20/09/12 Christchurch BRYERS KH 77941 RNZAF 02/11/12 Wanganui BRYSON AJK 659258 WWII JForce 24/09/12 Palmerston Nth BUCKNELL FH 72552 Malaya RNZAF 16/09/12 Christchurch BUNDOCK TR 22274758 Army 01/10/12 Orewa BURROWS AL 9366 WWII NZA 20Bn 01/09/12 Christchurch BUTLER BJ 568552 NZA 17/08/12 Taradale BYRNE RG G41268 Malaya 1Bn 23/09/12 Tauranga BYRON AAG 206663 WWII NZA 10/10/12 Wellington C

CAMPBELL RA NZ12165 RNZN 20/09/12 England CAMPBELL RJ 5943RNZN WWII Navy 23/09/12 Whangamata CANNING J 206452 Korea KForce 17/10/12 Rotorua CHAPMAN FW 626146 NZA 13/09/12 Taradale CLARK P 14920267 WWII Sigs 03/10/12 Mt Maunganui CLARK RE 230665 21Bn 11/10/12 Manurewa COLLINS JP 712165 KForce NZASC 10Comp 21/08/12 New Plymouth CONNOLLY WR 1416278 Navy 03/10/12 Howick COOKE JS 83270 WWII NZA18Arm Regt 03/09/12 Christchurch COOKE MF 22788305 Army 27/08/12 Kawerau COPLEY HW 275470 WWII RNZA 6Fld Regt 25/10/12 Christchurch CORRIGALL SD 61327 WWII 2NZEF 27/08/12 Alexandra CORSCADDEN E 2547229 WWII British Army 05/10/12 Howick COUCHMAN RC 9326 WWII RNZN 25/10/12 Wanganui COWAN CD 463860 WWII NZA 06/10/12 Wellington CRAIG AM 435164 WWII 5Sqd 12/08/12 New Plymouth

CRISPIN JR NZ9517 WWII RNZN 02/10/12 Whangarei D

DAKIN JW 596069 CMT 23/09/12 Opunake DANIELL ME 73479 RNZAF 19/09/12 Masterton DAVIES GM 528658 TF 18/09/12 Tauranga DAVIS S 230751 WWII 2NZEF 16/09/12 Oamaru DEASY LD CXX73096 Navy 30/05/12 Taupo DINSDALE TW 811903 WWII 27Bn 02/10/12 Rotorua DOUGLAS RO 4211646 WWII RNZAF 10/10/12 Nelson DOWSETT LR 342459 Army 07/08/12 Orewa DRAKE J 8684 WWII NZA 23/08/12 Wellington DRAPER RW 442220 WWII 2NZEF 19/09/12 Hastings DUCKWORTH L NZ8554 RNZN 21/09/12 Blenheim DUNCAN O N448638 WWII Army 20/09/12 Pukekohe E

EADIE W W3645 WWII RNZN 28/10/12 Howick EDEN ME 1863665 RAF 26/09/12 Queenstown EVANS W 642478 29/09/12 Auckland EVES DG 75313 WWII RNZAF 27/10/12 Christchurch EYLES AM 5557 WWII RNZN 28/10/12 Motueka F

FARISH F 1617206 WWII RAF 21/09/12 Nelson FEAKINS DC 621604 WWII 2NZEF 1Taranaki 25/08/12 New Plymouth FEATHER EK 620479 WWII 2NZEF 03/11/12 Rangiora FINLAY PK 14125 18/08/12 Kawerau FLOGDELL MC 435745 WWII RNZAF 15/10/12 Palmerston Nth FOSTER SR CKY774273 NZ12761 Korea RN RNZN 24/09/12 Lincoln FRANDI JW 709096 Army CMT 14Coy AARegt 29/09/12 Wellington FRASER LM 453394 18/10/12 Dunedin FRY W 9149AB WWII RNZN 05/10/12 Motueka G

GEAR JC 446497 WWII Army ASC 18/09/12 Nelson GIFFORD D 592462 2Fld Amb 04/08/12 New Plymouth GIFFORD LC 33455 Army 26/09/12 Blenheim GILLESPIE-NEEDHAM CW 206074 KForce NZA 16/10/12 Hastings GOODWIN JD 271231 WWII NZA 8Reinf 01/09/12 Thames GORDON LJM 409783 207853 WWII Korea Arty MM 05/11/12 Nelson GRANT EG 424000 WWII RNZAF 17/10/12 Tauranga GRANT K 241435 WWII 32Bty. 6AT 15/10/12 Wanganui GRAY RJ 638693 JForce 20/09/12 Oamaru GREEN GL 437587 WWII RNZAF 27/09/12 Whangarei GREEN RF 70858 WWII RNZAF 03/09/12 Tauranga GREIG DR 38798 WWII NZInf Regt 30/07/12 New Plymouth GUNN CEM 65562 WWII Army 31/07/12 Taupo H

HALL WE 427279 27/10/12 Dunedin HAMMOND PL 7347 WWII NZA 27MG Bn 09/09/12 Christchurch HAMMOND TG 619978 WWII RNZAF 25/10/12 Blenheim HANKINS KD 668448 WWII NZA 12/10/12 Whangarei HANSEN BJ 38389 Vietnam RNZEME 18/09/12 Temuka HARNEY K 406126 2NZEF RNZA 20/09/12 Oamaru HARRINGTON NR 449653 WWII NZA MC 06/09/12 Christchurch HARRIS DW 422028 WWII RNZAF 28/09/12 Rangiora HARRIS E NZ7551 WWII RNZN 05/11/12 Whangarei HARRIS JS 61348 NZProvo Corp 12/10/12 Oamaru HARRISON CH 268254 WWII NZOrd Italy 12/10/12 Rotorua HARRISON J 437855 WWII 10/10/12 Motueka HARWOOD CL NZ10628 WWII RNZN 07/11/12 Wairoa HAWKE WS 811942 Japan 27/10/12 Papamoa HAWKEN SW 438616 WWII 21Bn 24/10/12 Whangarei HEARD IG 1734576 Vietnam 6RAR 29/08/12 Australia HEDGECOCK AF 345480 Korea Malaya MN 19/10/12 Christchurch HENDERSON AM 433849 WWII RNZNVR FAA 05/11/12 Oxford HENDERSON DM 458496 WWII HS 06/10/12 Invercargill HERMANS RE 27138 WWII 2NZEF 13 Ply Coy 01/10/12 Hamilton HEWITT LJ 436737 WWII RNZAF 05/09/12 Christchurch HIKU FM 74819 RNZAF 27/09/12 Dunedin HOGG JS 45657 WWII NZCCS 20/10/12 Nelson HOKOPAURA RS M52888 03/09/12 Opotiki HOLZ AWH 548779 WWII HS 15/10/12 Nelson HORSBURGH JR 665334 WWII Japan 2NZEF 15/10/12 Ashburton HOWELL WO 45726 WWII Navy 11/11/12 Orewa

HUGHES E 330298 CMT NZA 01/09/12 Auckland HUGHES-SPARROW S G19579 RNZN 03/09/12 Auckland HUTCHINSON DG 102076 RNZN 23/08/12 Taradale I

IRESON TW 450935 02/10/12 Auckland J

JASPERS EC 458823 WWII NZA 07/09/12 Howick JENKINS JA NZ391971 WWII RNZAF 75Sqn 13/10/12 Feilding JOHNSON GL 667610 04/10/12 Dunedin JOHNSON PM 106080 WWII RN WREN 04/10/12 Palmerston Nth JOHNSTON CC W2387 WWII RNZAF WAAF 01/09/12 Rakaia JOHNSTONE JK 4231 RNZN 17/10/12 Auckland JONES JNQ 5545 WWII WAAF 09/09/12 Howick JONES JS 785094 NZA 15/05/12 Wanganui JONES KJ P111984 16/08/12 Auckland JOWSEY K 22491316 22/08/12 Dunedin K

KEALS RW N49200 WWII Army 21/09/12 Pukekohe KEEBLE WH 816763 Army 14/10/12 Bulls KEENE RB 331756 CMT 19/06/12 Manurewa KEIGHLEY H 628650 JForce 11/09/12 Te Kuiti KELLAND BF 11/09/12 Ashburton KERWIN T 3089112 WWII RAF 28/08/12 Howick KIRKWOOD JD 439190 WWII 17Sqd 21/09/12 Matamata KISSELL WG 289020 NZA 26Bn 15/10/12 Westport KORNER PE 565 WWII 96Arty Regt 7A/Tk 34Bty 08/09/12 Naenae L

LAMMAS AJ 628178 Army 29/09/12 Blenheim LANGFORD AE 452009 WWII 2NZEF 9Inf Bgd 02/09/12 Rotorua LAURSEN N 641112 Japan 11/10/12 Tauranga LAWRENCE AB (MRS) 2047321 WWII WAAF 21/08/12 Tauranga LE HERON EN 260862 WWII NZASC 31/08/12 Morrinsville LEWIS AN L09023 WWII RN RNZN 12/10/12 Auckland LINES DA 2273553 WWII 371Coy 03/08/12 Dannevirke LIVINGSTON DS 435500 WWII RNZAF 05/08/12 Taupo LOFTUS J 66533 WWII 26/08/12 Motueka LUCIE-SMITH EP 207863 Korea RNZA 16Fld Regt 13/09/12 Paraparaumu LYONS RM NZ4211850 WWII RNZAF 02/09/12 Christchurch M

MACKIE JM 75859 Malaya RNZAF 04/09/12 Hastings MACKINDER RA NZ4213417 WWII RNZAF 15/09/12 Christchurch MADELEY FK 19160369 Army 19/09/12 Red Beach MAHAN RR 13201 WWII RNZN 20/09/12 Wellington MARSDEN D L 4310959 WWII RNZAF 20/09/12 Te Atatu Sth MARTIN NF NZ6764 RNZAF 12/10/12 Wanganui MASON JH 4250 WWII Div Sigs 19Bn 23/09/12 Rotorua MCALEES DW 462762 TF 08/10/12 Tauranga MCCAULEY TE 1796508 WWII RAF 19/09/12 Wellington MCCOLL MID 6504 WWII NZA 14/09/12 Howick MCCONACHIE WD 646041 Korea KForce 23/09/12 Palmerston Nth MCCORMICK RH 924370 26/10/12 Dunedin MCDOWELL JJ 70043 WWII RNZAF 12/09/12 Howick MCELROY G D730920 Vietnam RNZA 161Bty 15/10/12 Pukekohe MCGAHEY R 2240994 REME 10/10/12 Wanganui MCILROY JDJ PO25090 Royal Marines Nthn Ireland 21/10/12 Te Awamutu MCINERNEY LF 268441 WWII NZA 15/09/12 Christchurch MCINTOSH SJ NZ10049 WWII RNZN 29/10/12 Featherston MCINTYRE CE 971963 CMT 02/11/12 Gore MCKAY L 54692 WWII WRNS 02/09/12 Hamilton MCKEON SR 30233 Japan Vietnam Malaya Inf 05/10/12 Taradale MCLEAN WG 9437 24/07/12 Otaki MCLEARY J 1371737 WWII RAF 13/09/12 Hamilton MCLENNAN GM 4217061 WWII RNZAF 14/10/12 Howick MCNICCHOLL AR 41202 27/09/12 Rotorua MCVIE RW 437900 18Bn Arm Regt 24/10/12 Oamaru MEIKLE AJ 277524 18Arm Regt 06/11/12 Oamaru METIN MA 23567481 British Army 02/11/12 Otaki MILLER PG 14204379 WWII Army 25/09/12 Blen-

heim MILLS A 622637 WWII NZA 16/09/12 Kaiapoi MITCHELL WJ 391789 RNZAF 19/03/12 Oamaru MOKOMOKO T 336696 Vietnam 27/08/12 Opotiki MOORE EW 47289 WWII 2NZEF 15/10/12 Ashburton MOORE LH 776319 Army 28/10/12 Blenheim MORRIS RN 449915 04/11/12 Auckland MORRISON DD 107FI 08/09/12 Papatoetoe MORRISON FW 44332 Air Force 16/09/12 Rotorua MURDOCH IA 413110 WWII RNZAF 23/10/12 Mosgiel MURRAY TB 424994 WWII RNZAF 29/09/12 Matamata N

NAERA GPG 18349 Navy 16/09/12 Rotorua NAWISIELSKI RC A18952 RNZN Far East 29/10/12 Kerikeri NELSON AJ NZ28094 WWII RNZN 25/09/12 Hamilton NELSON GA 4109779 Malaya Borneo RAF Tpt 21/09/12 Richmond NELSON HF 401892 WWII RNZAF 06/10/12 Paraparaumu NEVIN RHH 7349 WWII 2NZEF Army 29/09/12 Nelson NEWMAN JS 81748 Air Force 17/09/12 Morrinsville NICHOLSON CWJ 65098 WWII Army 27/09/12 Whangaparaoa NIHA M 304630 RNZASC 1Coy 15/09/12 Whangarei NUGENT D WWII RAF 06/09/12 Wanganui O

ODELL FP 635868 WWII 2NZEF 26Bn 22/10/12 Amberley OGIER EE NZ4210498 WWII RNZAF 26/10/12 Katikati O’HARE D NZ12603 WWII RN RNZN 30/09/12 Rangiora ORR IG NZ10144 WWII RNZN 19/08/12 Tauranga OSBORN (NEE MORAN) JA 425888 WWII WAAF 11/09/12 Whangarei P

PAK H 30052700 WWII Polish Army 29/10/12 Papatoetoe PARKHURST RA 514552 29/10/12 Dunedin PARKINSON SH 636990 Japan RNZA 05/08/12 Ngatea PARTRIDGE R C/TX609839 09/10/12 Auckland PATERSON AM 630903 NZA 20/08/12 Taradale PEKIN J 423131 WWII 30Bn 07/09/12 Te Awamutu PERRING J 537158 CMT 30/09/12 Tauranga PETERSON CJ 452050 Air Force 31/08/12 Whangamata PIERCE EG 218391 WWII 23Bn 04/09/12 Geraldine PILOT VM 329574 WWII Army 22/10/12 Orewa PINKERTON JL 456956 WWII 13Reinf 29/08/12 Tauranga POLLARD GD 332974 CMT 07/09/12 Tauranga POTTER OW 666940 WWII JForce 08/10/12 Australia PREECE LC 327176 30/09/12 Tauranga PRIMMER NL 650481 WWII JForce NZA 21/09/12 Christchurch PROUT HJ 1/12/1154 19/10/12 Paeroa PULLEN RGS 76311 Air Force Army 11/09/12 Whangarei Q

QUINTON LC 445178 WWII Army 23Bn 06/10/12 Nelson R

REDFERN RL 621115 Army 01/09/12 Orewa REWITI RT E44187 Vietnam 1 RNZIR Victor6 30/08/12 Rotorua RICEMAN F 22057783 BAOR 03/09/12 Whangarei RICHARDSON EJ NZ4310702 WWII RNZAF 23/10/12 Christchurch RICKETTS PC L80625 RNZAF 19/10/12 Blenheim ROBINSON HGT 64029 WWII 2NZEF 26/09/12 Tauranga RODENBURG WM 817011 23/09/12 Waikanae ROE F R254943 WWII RFA 09/09/12 Geraldine ROONEY SV 15621 WWII 2NZEF 10/07/12 Oamaru ROSCOE PA 334795 30/10/12 Tauranga ROSS NA 445293 WWII RNZEME 01/11/12 Christchurch RYAN MPJ 41294 WWII 3Div NZA 17/09/12 Christchurch RYAN RW 432273 WWII RNZAF 09/02/26 Palmerston Nth S

SCOTT D 1560379 WWII Royal Arty 19/10/12 Te Awamutu SCOTT W 637208 WWII Army 19/08/12 Taupo SEARLE WJ 512071 20/08/12 Oamaru SEMMENS KS 440211 431914 WWII Army RNZAF

Remembering 15

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

The LAST PoST WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

12/10/12 Nelson SENIOR WC 810951 Japan Army 01/11/12 Whangaparaoa SHAW A PJX732910 WWII RN 16/10/12 Hamilton SHAW BA 431433 WWII Army 05/09/12 Whangaparaoa SHIMMIN GA FX91614 WWII RAF 13/09/12 Howick SIDDELLS EC NZ438783 NZ2062 WWII 2Regt MT Coy 29/10/12 Christchurch SKINNER KH 281640 21/10/12 Mt Maunganui SMALL HL 326186 Army 11/09/12 Red Beach SMITH D 889024 Malaya Borneo Army 01/11/12 Ashburton SMITH J 442748 WWII RNZAF 07/08/12 Taradale SMITH JE 653066 WWII Army 04/11/12 Blenheim SMITH L 14279232 WWII British Army 05/10/12 Kerikeri SMITH LJ 4161 Navy 07/06/12 Taupo START W 14146 RNZN 23/08/12 Taradale

STEVENSON N 2638 WWII Air Force 12/10/12 Taupo STOCK PW 349330 Malaya 18/09/12 Te Puke STOCKDALE RS 71004 WWII NZA 17/10/12 Taradale SUMNER W LFX105694 W74425 WWII RN RNZAF NZA 14/09/12 Christchurch SUTHERLAND RJ 569492 NZA Tank Coy 30/09/12 Taradale T

TAIT GB 14095554 WWII RASC 02/08/12 Howick TAMATEA D 38629 WWII 27/09/12 Mt Maunganui TAYLOR IA 458468 24/08/12 Kawerau TERRY C P/JX388692 WWII Navy 16/09/12 Taupo THOMSON DG 4144 WWII 19Bn 5Fld 01/10/12 Ashburton TIPPLER C 332149 Wgtn Regt 27/10/12 Hastings TITTER DN 4214429 WWII 622Sqd 27/09/12 Taradale TRELOAR KR 827496 27/09/12 Te Puke

TWIGG PH 4211625 04/09/12 Tauranga W

WALKER DFW 427770 WWII RNZAF 6Sqn IP 25/09/12 Dannevirke WALTON RH 332030 CMT 10/09/12 Matamata WANDS R 2932874 WWII Cameron Highlander 06/09/12 Nelson WARD ID 33183 Korea KForce RNZASC 18/09/12 Rangiora WATT JA NZ8750 24/09/12 Christchurch WATTON GC 551251 CMT 01/10/12 Paeroa WAUGH AG 2009156 British Army 01/09/12 Taradale WEBB MJ 2107350 WWII WAF 07/04/12 Oamaru WEBSTER SS 427550 WWII RNZAF 06/09/12 Howick WELSH RJM 440911 WWII 2NZEF 05/10/12 Nelson WHEELER (NEE GRENALL) DG WWII NZWAAC 15/10/12 Mosgiel

WIGLEY S 948854 WWII RAF 03/09/12 Howick WILLIAMS ME 4213957 WWII NZA RNZAF 06/08/12 Howick WILLIAMS RD Korea RNZN 12/07/12 Manurewa WILSON BG 628230 24/09/12 Otaki WINKLEY L 443913 RNZAF 01/11/12 Napier WINSLADE BJ 88215 WWII Navy 31/07/12 Taupo WOLKEN J 301011219 Army 30/09/12 Taupo WRIGHT AR N615106 27Bn 19/09/12 Te Puke WRIGHT F R277533 WWII MN 07/11/12 Whangamata WRIGHT P 621043 20/08/12 Alexandra WYKE GH 1819455 2192Sqd 10/09/12 Auckland Y

YOUNG WK 45450 WWII HS Army 20/07/12 Kaikohe Z

ZWEZERYNEN H 97238 Dutch Navy 14/10/12 Katikati

ADIeu NANCy AS verA LyNN SINGS Them home Seatoun RSA member Trevor Morley – who describes himself as a self-appointed champion for World War 2 Resistance hero Nancy Wake – is not one to be put off by bureaucrats.

He noted that there had been remembrance services for Nancy Wake (who died, just days off her 99th birthday, on August 7, 2011) in London and Canberra, but nothing the land of her birth (30 August 1912 in Oriental Bay. Wellington.

An approach to Wellington mayor Celia WadeBrown suggesting the city host a remembrance service, given that it had erected a heritage pylon on Oriental Bay Parade in Nancy’s honour, drew a “not our job, talk to the Ministry of Defence” response.

Again, “not our job” but approach the culture and heritage minister. But Chris Finlayson rebuffed the suggestion of government involvement, and suggested Trevor Morley arrange a service himself.

So, with assistance from the Embassy of France and RNZRSA headquarters, a remembrance service came to pass, on August 30, 2012 – which would have been Nancy Wake’s 100th birthday – at the Old St. Paul’s Church, in Wellington.

More than 400 members of the public, World War 2 veterans (some of whom had known Nancy during the war), former service personnel, members of the diplomatic corps – even a smattering of politicians – were there.

In line with Nancy’s Maori heritage the service opened with a karakia from Tawa-based Archdeacon Bill Tangohau, followed by a waiata, the hymn How Great Thou Art (Whakaaria Mai).

The service was conducted by Deacon Harvey

Pat Hickton shares a final thought with Nancy Wake. The poster – a DominionPost billboard from Trevor Morley’s Nancy Wake memorabilia collection – refers to the RNZRSA’s Badge in Gold award to Nancy Wake in April 2006.

A group gathers round the heritage pylon that the Wellington City Council erected in Nancy Wake’s honour in Oriental Parade, opposite Grass St. where she was born From left: Rev Deacon Harvey Dalton, World War 2 veteran Gerry Janes (Lower Hutt,) Graeme Wake, World War 2 veteran David Irwin (Wairarapa), Trevor Morley (Wellington), World War 2 veteran Pat Hickton (Palmerston North) and Kim Josephs (Trevor Morley’s partner.)

Dalton, who reminisced about his knowledge of Nancy and his conversations with her.

Representatives of the United Kingdom, United States, French and Australian governments –all of which had recognised Nancy’s war achievements – spoke, along with Don McIver, president of the RNZRSA, which recognised her in New Zealand.

Organiser Trevor Morley gave a speech based on the eulogy delivered at Nancy’s London remembrance service. However, this would have been Nancy’s 100th birthday, he encouraged the congregation to “be upstanding” for a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.

The service concluded with prayers (led by Harvey Dalton), the Ode (recited in Maori by Hawea “Guv” Grey, RNZRSA Maori ex-services representative, and English by Don McIver), The Last Post and Reveille (played by LAC Bent Hunt, RNZAF), and God Defend New Zealand (sung by all).

Ushers were Capt Paul Prouse, officer commanding, and members of Bravo Company, 7 Wellington (City of Wellington’s Own) and Hawke’s Bay Battalion Group. Outside were World War 2 vintage army vehicles, courtesy of the New Zealand Military Vehicle Collectors’ Club.

As people left the church, the voice that sang for Allied service personnel in those wartime days rang through the church – Vera Lynn was singing everyone home.

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Remembering 17

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

NeW GrouP ‘PreTTy AmBITIouS’ Karen Phelps A new society established to gain recognition for a forgotten World War I battle is gathering momentum. Since its formation last year the Passchendaele Society has set up a website and initiated projects aimed at raising awareness of the huge contribution New Zealand soldiers made in the Battle of Passchendaele.

Society chairman Lt Col (rtd) Chris Mullane, who is also the RNZRSA’s chairman of national remembrance, says he has been amazed at how few RSA members know much of the battle.

“It was one of the most significant battles for New Zealand in World War I, yet hardly anybody really knows about it. Some 2500 soldiers lost their lives at Gallipoli and 5000 in Flanders at Passchendaele , 846 in the first four hours.”

Little public attention was paid to the battle at the time, as governments sought to minimise negative publicity.

“It was not good politics to discuss the scale of the losses,” says Mullane. “Therefore, it only got a brief mention in the history books. Families were private in their grieving. Because it wasn’t The display (right) was part of the New Zealand Military Historical Society’s contribution to Auckland Heritage Week in September. The display concentrated on aspects of New Zealand military history, and the society ran a series of lectures in the Auckland War Memorial Museum atrium; presenters were Anthony Dreaver, Herb Farrant, Neil Frances, Russell Glackin, Tony Goodwin and Gerry Wright. The displays included uniforms, the War Graves Commission, the New Zealand Tunnelling company, a scale model of Royal New Zealand Navy ships, an arms display (visitors were able to handle weapons, with bolts removed), and stands set up by members. Restored military vehicles were displayed on the forecourt outside the museum. The society has been involved in Heritage Week for some years, but has expanded its presence in the last two years. It hopes to repeat the programme next year.

really recorded in history, it got forgotten about.”

Ninety years on, the 2007 Ypres Agreement between the Flemish and New Zealand governments committed to co-operate on increasing broad community recognition, educating younger generations, honouring the war dead, preserving heritage material, and encouraging tourism to commemorative and historical sites in Flanders and New Zealand.

The battle came to the attention of a dedicated group of enthusiasts after a travelling exhibition from the Belgium-based Passchendaele Memorial Museum came to New Zealand in 2009; it attracted 10,000 visitors to Fort Takapuna, Auckland over six weeks.

“The response made us realise there was a real need, and people wanted to know more,” says Mullane. The Passchendaele Society was formed in March 2011 with the prime objective of raising community awareness and recognition of Passchendaele and the Western Front.

The society has established goals that reflect the key points of the Ypres agreement – these include: working to increase community awareness, recognition and understanding of Passchendaele

and the Western Front; educating the younger generation; commemorating the battle; organising commemorative sites and heritage material.

The society has already made huge headway, he says. A website (www.passchendaelesociety. org) has been created, and membership has risen, both in New Zealand and overseas.

It has a project to encourage students of all ages to research the battle and family members who took part.

“We’re pretty ambitious. We expect this will become part of the curriculum, especially during 2014-2018, the four-year commemoration of World War ,” says Mullane.

The website maintains contact with members, details current events, and is a channel for learning and research about Passchendaele and World War I. It is linked to the websites of organisations, such as the Auckland War Memorial Museum cenotaph database and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

Membership is $20 a year. If an RSA joins, all of its members automatically become members of the Passchendaele Society.

example set to follow A national project initiated by the Passchendaele Society and supported by the RNZRSA aims to show people how to create fields of remembrance at local level, says society vice-president Chris Mullane.

“In 2009 we created a field of remembrance (pictured above) in Takapuna, with 5000 white crosses planted on the original World War I parade ground next to Fort Takapuna. The Whangarei RSA took 650 of those crosses and named each for someone from its local district who was lost. A month before each Anzac Day, the Whangarei community is involved in placing these personalised crosses in a field of remembrance that becomes the focus of commemoration ceremonies until the crosses are lifted in the week after April 25.

“We want to encourage other centres to do the same, not only for Anzac Day but also on the anniversaries of other important New Zealand battles, including Passchendaele.”

The society is also commissioning a sculpture from Belgian Rik Ryon. To be made from brass, copper, iron and other items found on the battlefield, Swords into Ploughshares will depict a soldier turning a sword into a ploughshare.

The Biblical phrase means to do away with war and return to peace, says Mullane. The aim is to have the sculpture in place by October 12, 2017, the centenary of the battle.

The society is also working with the Passchendaele Museum, in Flanders, to recover objects from the battlefield for display in Auckland; Takapuna Grammar School pupils are making a case for the objects.

18 Remembering – special report

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

The ABC of world wAr 2 rAdio C Jewish refugees saw special ops as a way they could fight hitler

When Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in January 1933, The Holocaust began. Over the next 12 years, 6.25 million Jews died – one third of the world’s Jewish population; 3.5 million of them were gassed in Hitler’s death camps. Thousands fled to safe havens such as Britain, where a handful of Jewish men – such as Gerhard “Harry” Heilig and Leslie Temple – went on to join the RAF and play a unique and highly classified role in World War 2. LINDY ANDREWS tells their story.

Gerhard Heilig and his family were living in Vienna when the Nazis invaded Austria in March 1938. Within 48 hours his father, a prominent Jewish journalist, was arrested by the Gestapo and transported to the Dachau concentration camp and, later, Buchenwald.

“My immediate family survived,” Heilig recalls from his home in Vienna. “However, two aunts, an uncle and two cousins perished in concentration camps. I was on the first children’s transport to England in December 1938 and had the good fortune to be taken in by a Quaker school in Yorkshire.”

Heilig trained as an electrician and spent his early working life as a telephone engineer.

He also developed a passion for aircraft and harboured dreams of becoming an aircraft engineer or pilot.

But of more immediate and painful concern to him were the atrocities inflicted on Jews as Hitler sought to eradicate the people he decried as “mongrels” and to create an Aryan master race.

“When Britain declared war on Nazi Germany I felt a sense of relief,” says Heilig. “Although

I was only 15 years old at the time, I realised that the Nazis were too firmly established to be fought from within the country, and the only way to counter them would be from without, which, of course, meant war.”

As soon as he was old enough, he enlisted in the RAF, later becoming one of a handful of German-speaking Jewish special operators in Radio Counter Measures.

The special operators included a high proportion of German-speaking Jewish refugees who were especially at risk if captured, as were their surviving families in the Reich. One source tells of a crew member who committed suicide when captured by the Germans. There were also British and Commonwealth Jewish RAF personnel, many of whom spoke German or Yiddish at home.

During the first few months of 1940 intelligence uncovered the existence of a German radio navigational beam system. This led to the establishment of 80 Wing, under the command of Wg Cdr Edward Addison.

At the time, Luftwaffe ground controllers used

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high frequency radio to guide their night-fighters on to the bomber stream. Microphones were installed in the engine nacelles of RAF bombers, and engine noises were transmitted over the aircraft’s radio to jam the Germans’ directions.

This system was called Tinsel. But in 1943 the Germans switched to very high frequency (VHF), rendering Tinsel useless.

The RAF retaliated, developing a ground transmitter named Cigar to jam VHF transmissions. But, because of the properties of wave propagation and its 120-mile operational radius, it was not very effective.

As 80 Wing’s activities gathered impetus, the unit was expanded and renamed 100 (Bomber Support) Group. Its mission was twofold: to undertake radio counter-measures, and to deploy Mosquito intruders to hunt the German night-fighters in their own skies. 100 Group’s badge was a medusa’s head; its motto was “Confound and Destroy”.

By October of 1943, the RAF – having trialled the system on B17 Flying Fortresses – had begun installing Airborne Cigar, or ABC, in 101 Squadron Lancasters based at Ludford Magna.

An ABC weighed 605lbs (275kg) and took many man-hours to install. To the naked eye, the only distinguishing features of an ABC-fitted Lancaster were two 7-ft (2.1m) aerials on the upper fuselage, one below the bomber’s window, and a shorter receiver at the top rear of the fuselage.

To compensate for the weight – three massive 50-watt transmitters, a cathode-ray screen, and an eighth crew member – bomb-loads were reduced to 1000lbs (455kg).

ABC was so highly classified that Lancaster crews – including their squadron leaders – operated in complete ignorance of Special Ops’ activities. The special ops were secreted away behind a curtain in the coldest part of the aircraft, and in winter risked losing the skin from their fingers if they touched metal without gloves.

“The task of ABC was to jam the German night-fighter frequencies,” says Gerhard Heilig.

“The time base of a cathode-ray tube covered the frequency band of 38-42.4 MHz, and any transmissions showed up as a blip. A strobe spot could then be brought to this blip and the pressing of a switch turned on the jamming transmitter.”

The Germans dubbed the oscillating noise produced by ABC “dudelsack” because it sounded like bagpipes.

“Contrary to some beliefs, no false orders were transmitted from the aircraft,” says Heilig.

“These would necessarily have been random

and unco-ordinated, and quickly recognised as false. There was a ground organisation, based at Kingsdown in Kent, which did issue false instructions and proved very effective.”

Stationed in pairs at regular intervals through the bomber stream, the ABC-fitted Lancasters and their operators were not always popular.

Many airmen believed their transmissions may have made 101 Sqn more vulnerable to detection and attack, a view that remains fiercely debated to this day.

Another former SO, Plt Off Sam Brookes, doubts whether the Germans got as far as developing an electronic system that would have enabled them to home in on 101 Sqn aircraft.

“Certainly I have seen no evidence they did,” he says. “Mind you, when I was on the squadron, we did not know whether they were doing such work, so we were all advised to avoid letting our jamming transmissions go on for more than, say, 10 seconds at a time.

“For the brief minute or two we were over the target, we were advised to transmit a continuing barrage of jamming on all the aircrafts’ transmitters. Obviously, there was not much point in trying to hide where we were then.”

German ground controllers kept verbal transmission to an absolute minimum. Instructions to Luftwaffe night fighters were sometimes sung by Wagnerian sopranos in an attempt to

SOs were secreted in the coldest part of the aircraft; in winter they risked losing the skin from their fingers if they touched metal without gloves.

Remembering –special report 19

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

CounTer-meAsures The Germans dubbed the oscillating noise produced by ABC ‘dudelsack’ because it sounded like bagpipes.

Erik Nielson...not short on initiative.

PHOTOS Special operations and Airborne Cigars were obviously top-secret during World War 2. Much of the information has continued to remain until wraps. In fact, The Royal Air Force has declassified some information and these photographs in response to RSA Review enquiries.

They show several groups of airmen and special operators, and, above, the special ABC compartment from which the SOs worked in the bombers.

hoodwink SOs into believing they were tuned into civilian radio channels.

Present-day RAF flight lieutenant and historian Gary Weightman says that while it was possible the Germans could have developed a method of homing in on the Lancasters high-powered VHF transmissions, there was no evidence of such equipment or any reports from Luftwaffe crews to support the theory.

“Even if evidence of such a tactic from the enemy were detected, the obvious ECCM (electronic counter-counter measure) would have been to switch off the kit at random times, relying on cover from the other ABC Lancs in the stream,.

“101 Squadron suffered its heaviest casualties in 1944 while operating ABC, but flew a very

high number of sorties, with some crews flying on ‘ops’ twice in one day. ” Each 101 Lancaster had eight crew, and this may have made abandonment of a crippled bomber at night more difficult, leading to a very high loss of aircrew, despite the fact some other units actually lost more Lancasters.”

Any Jewish SO captured by the Germans faced the terrible possibility of torture and death, says Martin Sugarman, an archivist for London’s British Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX).

In his paper, Jewish RAF Special Operators in Radio Counter Measures with 101 Squadron, Sugarman recounts how before one mission, Special Operator J. A. Davies asked his lifelong

friend, SO Reuben Herscovitz why he carried a pair of civilian shoes slung around his neck on each of his 36 missions.

“He was told: ‘My friend, if you are shot down, you will either be killed or taken to a proper prison camp under the control of the Geneva Convention. I am a Jew, and as the Herrenvolk would like to liquidate my race, I aim to get away from the wreckage as soon as possible.

How can I possibly do that in heavy, fur-lined flying boots?’”

Special Operator A.J.H.Clayton was captured on the night of March 30, 1944 when his Lancaster was shot down, and was probably tortured to death for information on the Special Ops. Ft Sgt Leslie Temple, a British-born Jew, also had a personal axe to grind with Hitler. When the Germans broke through the Maginot line in 1940, his brother was captured and spent the next five years as a PoW. “There were so many Jews in concentration camps; it was horrible, terrible,” says Temple, who now lives in Ilford, east London.

“My Jewish parents went through so much suffering; I felt I had to fight the Nazis. A lot of Jews also came over from Germany and felt they had to do something. We were also losing so many aircraft. In March 1944 the RAF lost 96 aircraft in a single night-raid on Nuremberg.”

It seems that after the advent of ABC, the Germans never regained the upper hand in radio counter-measures.

The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force, published by the Air Ministry in 1948, documents the decline of the Luftwaffe night fighters.

General Schmidt, AOC of the German Fighter Command, castigated his force when they accounted for only 10 of 725 bombers attacking Dortmund and Bremen on the night of October 6-7, 1944. It was not the aircrew, but the ground controllers he blamed, as he considered the “failure of radio services afforded staggering proof of the incompetence of signal officers of all grades!”

In the RAF raids on Dresden and Chemnitz in February 1945, 200 Luftwaffe night-fighters were able to inflict only a 1% loss on the bomber force, amply proving the Germans’ inability to overcome “elaborate and successful British countermeasures”.

By 1945 confidence within Bomber Command was so high that daylight operations were common. The last 101 Sqn bomber lost, SR-T, was shot down by an ME262 jet on a daylight raid.

These lancaster crew really were desperate for a ‘p’ On July 23 1944, the RAF launched its first major raid on a German city in two months. At a little before midnight, 629 aircraft – 519 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitos – embarked on a mission to bomb Kiel.

The ensuing few hours, marked by his skipper’s audacity and sheer cunning, are forever burned into former Special Operator Leslie Temple’s memory.

“As we were coming out of the target area, we were caught by a master searchlight,” he recalls. “Almost immediately we were coned by about another dozen.”

Trapped in the lights, the Lancaster, piloted by Fg Off Erik Nielsen, bore the brunt of relentless German anti-aircraft fire. As two of the Lanc’s engines erupted in flames, the situation seemed hopeless. But the quick-thinking Nielsen, a future deputy prime minister of Canada in Brian Mulroney’s government, and brother of actor Leslie Nielsen, had other ideas.

He quelled the flames with extinguishers, then immediately cut power to the remaining engines.

“We dropped 13,000 feet – almost straight down,” says Temple. “As soon as we were below the searchlights, he turned on the two good engines and we managed to get out.”

Peppered by shrapnel, the crippled Lanc was on its final approach to Ludford Magna when problems with the landing gear became apparent: “The hydraulics wouldn’t work; there was no hydraulic fluid.”

A crash landing seemed inevitable. The young special operator, together with the rest of the airmen on board, braced himself for the worst.

Then Nielsen played his final – and most outrageous – ace. He instructed his crew to urinate into the hydraulics. Almost unbelievably, the plan worked and the Lancaster and its nerve-wracked crew landed safely.

Temple has no doubt Nielsen’s bold actions saved the crew: “I credit him with saving my life, although when I went to bed that night I shook for 12 hours. The next day I went to see the medical officer and he said: ‘Never mind my son, you’ll go up in that plane again tomorrow night and it will cure you.’ And it did.”

AUDIO DESCRIPTION OPENS WORLD OF TV TO BLIND COMMUNITY “Pedestrians walk along rain-washed pavements. A ginger cat jumps down from a slate roof. Pigeons flutter past the sign for the Rovers Return.” Without audio description, the opening scene of Coronation Street would be a mystery for blind viewers. TVNZ’s new audio description service has opened up the world of television to New Zealand’s blind community.

Audio description is an optional narrative of on-screen action, which viewers can access via digital television. An audio describer watches the television programme and writes a script of descriptions to explain the on-screen action – everything from where a character is standing, their facial expressions, movement of characters to the colour of the curtains.

TVNZ’s audio description service is fully funded

by NZ On Air and launched in early 2011. It has grown from two hours a week to 20 hours a week now in 2012. TVNZ’s General Manager of Media Operations Phil Hobden says, “While implementing an additional audio track for audio description into our transmission chain presented some technical challenges, we’re very pleased to now be offering 20 hours per week on TV ONE and TV2 across a variety of programming.”

towards assisting blind and vision-impaired people to achieve independence.” President of the Blind Citizens NZ board Clive Lansink said he was delighted with TVNZ’s commitment and enthusiasm for audio description. TVNZ Access Services Manager Wendy Youens says, “It’s wonderful to receive this kind of recognition for the audio description service, and it’s testament to the skill and commitment of our team of audio describers who produce a large quantity of audio description every week.”

HOW TO ACCESS CAPTIONS On standard definition platforms, such as analogue, Freeview Satellite or SKY: Teletext > page 801 On high definition platforms, such as Freeview HD: Subtitle button (SUB, STTL, STL) On MySKY HDi: Menu > Set Up > Closed Captions On. WHICH CHANNELS HAVE CAPTIONS?

Audio describer Virginia Philp preparing descriptions for Coronation Street.

Audio descriptions are inserted between dialogue so they don’t conflict with the main audio track of the programme. Because of this, some programme types, such as news and sports, are not as suitable for audio description. Dramas and documentaries are most suited to it, and a wide variety of audio described programming is available on TV ONE and TV2, including Shortland Street, Go Girls, Nothing Trivial, Revolution, Beyond the Darklands and Person of Interest, plus movies and one-off documentaries.

“Rita and Audrey exchange an exasperated glance.”

- audio description extract from Coronation Street “An awkward, gormless man in his 30s with short dark hair drops into the centre of the spotlight. He is wearing a brown tweed jacket, brown trousers, white shirt and red tie. He dusts himself down, and tottles off, wrists flapping.”

- audio description extract from Mr Bean

those learning English, as people are able to watch, listen and read simultaneously.

And TV ONE + 1, TV3 + 1, along with some SKY channels.

HOW TO ACCESS AUDIO DESCRIPTION You need digital television to access audio description.

Wendy Youens and Virginia Philp with Clive Lansink and the Blind Citizens NZ Extra Touch award.

The audio description logo and captioning ear are displayed at the start of programmes with the service available.

At the recent annual conference for Blind Citizens NZ, TVNZ Access Services was awarded the ‘Extra Touch’ award “in appreciation of your contribution

HAVING TROUBLE HEARING OR SEEING YOUR TV? USE CAPTIONS OR AUDIO DESCRIPTION

TVNZ Access Services also provides the captioning service for deaf and hearing-impaired viewers, which is available on over 240 hours of programming on TV ONE, TV2 and TV3 per week, along with some programming on TVNZ Heartland and FOUR. For people who have difficulty hearing television, captions can help fill in the gaps. As well as the spoken word, other elements of the audio are transcribed, such as music, sound effects, tone of voice and noises. Captions also help

On Freeview: Press the audio button on your remote and change the audio language setting to AD or Italian, OR on older Freeview set-top boxes, press menu > system settings > languages > Italian.

On SKY: + button > arrow key down > Italian On MySKYHDi: Active > system setup > system settings > audio and language settings > preferred language > Italian > save new settings.

WHICH CHANNELS HAVE AD?

And TV ONE + 1

Captions are just like subtitles, but are designed for people with hearing loss.

Audio description provides commentary of the on-screen action and is designed for people with vision loss.

These services are very easy to access on your TV. See our website for more information:

www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services

21

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

Health / Wellbeing

whAT you need To know ABouT residenTiAl CAre Margaret Snow, RNZRSA national support manager If you’re considering going into residential care, there are a few things to consider.

First and foremost, have a good look at the facilities available in the area you wish to live in. Going into residential care means you are looking at a new home for yourself; you need to like where you are going to be, and hope you can get along with the staff and other residents.

You won’t like everybody, that’s human nature, but being able to talk amicably with others will make life so much better.

Then there is the financial side. Some of you will remember that asset limits have been going up by $10,000 each July. This year, however, that has not been the case – the increase has been less than usual.

This information about asset and income testing has been taken from the Work & Income website: • If you do not have a spouse/partner or you have a spouse/partner also in long-term residential care, you must have combined total assets valued at $213,297 or less to qualify for residential-care subsidy.

• If you have a spouse/partner not in care, you can choose a threshold of – combined total assets of $116,806 not includ ing the value of house and car, or – combined total assets of $213,297 which will include the value of the house and car.

• If you meet the asset threshold, Work & Income will do an income assessment.

• The house is exempt only from the financialmeans assessment when it is the principal place

of residence of the spouse/partner not in care, or for a dependent child.

• Assets that Work & Income counts include: – cash or savings; – investments or shares; – loans made to other people (including family trusts); – boats, caravans and campervans; – investment properties; – your house and car (under certain circumstances).

• Assets that Work & Income does not count include: – pre-paid funeral expenses for you and your partner of up to $10,000 each, provided they are held in a recognised funeral plan; – personal belongings such as clothing and jewellery; – household furniture and effects.

• Your family home and personal vehicle are included as assets in the financial means assessment if: – you do not have a spouse/partner, or – both you and your spouse/partner are in long-term residential care, or – your spouse/partner is not in long-term residential care, but you have chosen to have your assets assessed against the $213,297 asset threshold.

Gifting of assets If you or your spouse/partner give away assets, they still may be counted as assets in your financial means assessment.

• Gifting of up to $6000 per year made in the

five years before you apply can be excluded from the financial-means assessment. This applies to each application for the residential care subsidy. For example, if both you and your spouse/partner apply for the residential-care subsidy, then gifts of $6000 each per year can be excluded.

• Gifts of more than $27,000 per year per application that have been made before the five-year gifting period, may be added into the assessment.

• For couples, gifting is $27,000 in total – not per person.

Gifts in recognition of care • Gifts in recognition of care of up to $6000 for each year of care provided can be made.

• Gifts may also be excluded from the financialmeans assessment if they are made in the 12 months before the date of the assessment and meet other criteria.

• Gifts made in recognition of care, together with any other gifts, must not exceed $30,000 in the five-year gifting period.

Income contribution •Any income you and your spouse/partner are able to receive will be used to determine the amount you contribute towards the cost of your care. Income includes: – New Zealand Superannuation, Veteran’s Pension or any other benefit; – 50% of private superannuation payments; – 50% of life insurance annuities; – overseas government pensions;

– contributions from relatives; – earnings from interest and bank accounts, investments, business or employment; – income from a family trust, trust or estate; • Income does not include: – money your spouse/partner has earned through employment; – income from assets when the income is under $945 a year for single people, $1890 a year for a couple when both have been assessed as requiring care, $2835 a year for a couple where one spouse/partner has been assessed as requiring care; – a war-disablement pension from New Zealand or any other Commonwealth country.

Note that Work & Income can go back over a number of years to look at how your assets have reduced.

When the current system was introduced, the RNZRSA made a submission to the select committee stating that we thought the asset limits were too low. They have been increased substantially, and more people are being cared for in their own homes with major support from families and through district-health-board funding.

I know that most people would prefer to stay in their own homes with the help they need, but if you do need to go into a rest-home, it is very important you know there is a residential-care subsidy, and what you need to do, including the completion of a large application form, to qualify for the help.

I hope you all have a safe and good Christmas and a happy new year.

Beware internet hearing-aid market, warns foundation for deaf The National Foundation for the Deaf has issued a strong warning against buying hearing aids on the internet.

The foundation’s chief executive officer, Louise Carroll, recommends that anyone thinking of doing so contact the foundation (0800 867446 or www.nfd.org.nz) to discuss or read about their options.

She says it is very important that people with hearing impairment have the opportunity to do

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this and are protected from being sold ineffective and/or unusable devices.

The challenges created by loss of good hearing, combined with the belief that hearing aids are unaffordable, create the perfect scene for internet-based businesses to hawk cheap hearing aids that probably do not meet the needs of many hearing-impaired New Zealanders, she says.

It is very concerning that the 700,000-plus New Zealanders – one in six – who live with

hearing loss, are increasingly being targeted by internet operators, says Carroll.

“Hearing aids are medical devices that need to be clinically prescribed by appropriately skilled health professionals, and should not be simply purchased over the internet. It is also a myth, bordering on urban legend, that all hearing aids are too expensive. A wide range of inexpensive hearing aids is available and can be prescribed by qualified health professionals,” she says.

22 Health / Wellbeing

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

w PACifiC ‘ePiCenTre of diABeTes ePidemiC’ One in three people with diabetes lives in the Western Pacific, according to estimates released by the International Diabetes Federation.

The figures show that 132 million people – or 8.5% of people in the Western Pacific – have diabetes. Just over 92 million of these people are in China.

The IDF estimates a further 77 million diabetes sufferers in the region have not been diagnosed.

By the end of the year, 1.7 million people will die from diabetes in the Western Pacific region – the highest number of deaths by region in the world – says the organisation.

“The Western Pacific region is now the epicentre of the diabetes epidemic,” says Yutaka Seino,

who chairs the IDF’s Western Pacific region, “We urgently need to see more action taken by governments and like-minded organisations to protect our vulnerable populations.”

The Western Pacific figures, which form part of IDF’s Diabetes Atlas 2012 Update, echo the shocking increase in diabetes on a global level. The total number of people living with diabetes in 2012 has risen to 371 million, from 366 million in 2011.

“In every country and in every community, we are losing the battle against this cruel and deadly disease,” says IDF president Jean Claude Mbanya.

“We want to raise awareness that, with the

right education and care, this disease can be controlled, and in some cases prevented.”

IDF chief executive officer Ann Keeling says millions of people are dying from diabetes in their most productive years.

“The stability of societies is threatened, and huge economic and political burdens are imposed on countries and communities. However, this disease remains marginalised on the global health-and-development agenda and vastly under-resourced.”

The IDF hopes to raise the voice of people with diabetes and to encourage those involved with the disease to move from advocacy to action on a regional and global scale.

Yutaka Seino: Urgent action needed by governments, organisations to protect ‘vulnerable populations’.

new zeAlAnd firsT lAys iTs elder-CAre Bill in The BAlloT Providing adequate funding for elderly rest home services has the National government doing its own version of the David Campese goosestep to try and avoid the issue, says New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

NZ First has submitted its Social Security (CPI Indexation of Long-term Residential Care Subsidy) Amendment Bill into the ballot. Peters says its aim is to ensure that government funding for eldercare services keeps pace with the annual rate of inflation.

“The bill recognises the relationship between the value we place on carers who tend to the aged and the value we place on vulnerable senior citizens,” he says..

“The bill would provide annual inflationadjusted increases in government funding to ensure staffing levels are appropriate and that staff receive training. This would lead to a direct improvement in the quality of care for elderly patients.

“Make no mistake. These rest-home workers deserve our admiration and thanks for the tasks they carry out as part of their daily work routines.

Rest-home workers deserve our admiration and thanks for the tasks they carry out as part of their daily routines. rest-home, dementia or hospital-level care in about 680 aged-residential-care facilities. More than 30,000 of these residents qualify for an aged-residential-care subsidy.

“We are acutely aware that New Zealand, like the Winston Peters: ‘To put it quite simply, our senior citizens must be rest of the western world, treated with respect and dignity, and not as a burden on society.’ has an aging population And it’s not as if they are suddenly going to run that will place more stress on eldercare facilities and workers. out of work to do.”

“That’s why this bill is so badly needed Peters says statistics reveal that each year about 40,000 elderly New Zealanders receive – to encourage necessary re-investment in

the eldercare sector so that it can meet those demands. We can clearly see the problems facing the country and we are coming up with realistic solutions. However, things can change in ways both foreseeable and unimaginable. That’s why the bill has a back-up clause to provide an industry-led review every three years.”

He says the bill proposes regulatory oversight to ensure funding is allocated for the purpose intended – such as maintaining care-workers’ wages and improving maintenance of residentialcare facilities.

“To put it quite simply, our senior citizens must be treated with respect and dignity, and not as a burden on society.”

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24

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

RSA Life

kATikATi villAge PAsses Time TesT Nearly 28 years on from when the first residents moved in, the Katikati RSA & Homewood Trust Village remains a viable proposition.

“On average the tenants are 70-plus years of age, tend to their own gardens wherever possible, and look out for one another,” says the board secretary-treasurer and club secretary, John Farrell.

“Allocation is on a greatest-need basis.

Everyone is assessed and applications are reviewed by board members. We’ve got quite a waiting list of people wanting to become tenants.

“Rental is kept to a minimum, and includes rubbish collection, a contractor to mow lawns, handyman, electricians and plumbers - all of whom help keep the units to a high standard.

The trust also pays rates and insures the tenants’ personal effects up to $5000 per unit.

“Because the village is self-funding, it is becoming a problem holding rents at the current level, when services such as rates, insurance and maintenance keep increasing. We do assess the situation regularly, and try not to increase the rentals unless economics force us to.”

The other board members are: Murray Rutherfurd (RSA) chairman, Peter Sparrow (RSA president), Ray Taylor (RSA support adviser), Earle Barbarich (RSA committee), Alison Noble (independent) and Lesley Board (independent).

The 38-unit complex has 16 buildings, with

the units in blocks of two, three or four, clad in brick and weatherboard and complemented by long-run roofing.

Inside, there’s an open plan kitchen/ dining/lounge area, a large bedroom that can comfortably take a queen-size bed or twin beds, a toilet and bathroom. All units have high beamed ceilings with a textured finish, stained pine woodwork and carpet and vinyl floor coverings.

Between 2009 and 2011 the exteriors were painted, the roofs re-sealed, the electric stoves replaced, and the carpark laid in “hot mix”.

This year, the village was rewired for digital TV, and free-to-air boxes were supplied free to tenants without Sky. Without a hospital facility, the rent criteria requires each superannuitant be able to look after themselves.

The project began in 1978 when a small group within the Katikati RSA dreamt of establishing a pensioner housing complex.

Working within the parameters of the Katikati RSA, they formed a trust committee to investigate the project.

By 1984 the group had selected a block of land and approached the Homewood Trust for assistance with the purchase. The trust – set up in 1942 by George Alley, a farmer who gifted 920 hectares of farm properties to a board of

PHOTOS Top right: A cul de sac within the Katitaki RSA & Homewood Trust Village. The 38-unit complex consists of 16 buildings.

Left: Each unit has an open plan kitchen, dining/lounge area, a large bedroom, a toilet and bathroom.

Community bonding ‘secret to success’ Bonding within the community was the secret to the success of the Katikati RSA & Homewood Trust Village, says the village board secretary, John Farrell.

The forward thinking, planning and perseverance of founding committee members Roger Smith, Scot Sygrove, Alys Chard and Colin Bevege made the project what it is today, he says.

“But, without the support of the Homewood Trust, lots of dedicated committee members, community groups such as Katikati Rotary and Pateke Lions, who all contributed with labour, donations and expertise, the project would not have been possible.

“Katikati Rotary built a hobbies/library hut, and all the service clubs gave generously of their

time in many working bees. A large communal barbecue area completed the complex.”

Colin Bevege also pays tribute to local builder Kerry McCullough’s role.

“Tenders for stage 1 were right out of the ballpark,” he recalls. “Kerry McCullough’s realistic price enabled the project to go ahead.

If it hadn’t have been for Kerry, there would not have been a village.”

Colin Bevege and Merv Bergerson were awarded the New Zealand RSA Merit award for this and other community projects. Alys Chard, longstanding secretary to the Katikati RSA & the Homewood Trust Village, and Roger Smith earned the RNZRSA’s Gold Star badge for their work in establishing the village.

trustees to re-establish returning World War 2 servicemen – was happy to help and advised the committee to “go out and borrow as much as you can” for the building.

The Housing Corporation of New Zealand approved $420,000 – a loan of $258,750 and a subsidy of $161,250. Committee member Scott Sygrove designed 12 units (stage one of the build) and in 1984 the tender was awarded to a local builder, Kerry McCullough.

By April 26, 1985, four of the 12 units were ready for occupation, and the first tenants moved in. By the August, stage 2 – another 10 units – began. A Housing Corporation loan of $172.500 and subsidy of $107,500 gave working capital of $280,000,a and the builder was again Kerry McCullough.

The trust had bought adjoining land and in January 1986, all the land for development was amalgamated under the Katikati RSA & Homewood Trust Village title, and was registered as a charitable trust.

Stage 3 added five units, and 11 more followed in stage 4 in 1987, giving a total of 38 units.

“Construction was not all plain sailing,”

says the trust’s current secretary, John Farrell.

“The introduction of GST was an unplanned event. It added 10% to the stage-4 building costs. Interest-rate increases on the Housing Corporation loan rocketed almost overnight from 3.5% to 9.8%. – a huge increase.”

As Colin Bevege says, they had no hope of recovering any additional costs through rent increases, as the tenants were on fixed incomes based on NZ Superannuation.

“Then to top it all off, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council altered the rating method after the village was completed,” he says. “ There were 38 toilets in the complex and they decided a different rate should have been struck.

A massive increase in rates ensued.”

Because the village was planned as a “standalone, self-funding” project, these unexpected cost increases had a huge effect on income. Much financial juggling ensured and the project was re-financed through the Bank of New Zealand.

RNZRSA president Sir William Leuchers did the honours at the grand opening on February 7 1987, and the village was blessed by Archdeacon Rex Clark.

Close To $800,000 soughT To resTore PeninsulA memoriAl The process has begun towards restoring the earthquake-damaged Banks Peninsula War Memorial in Akaroa.

An insurance claim has been lodged, and a major fundraising programme is in motion.

Support is now being sought from the Banks Peninsula and Akaroa communities, and applications for grants have been lodged with community trusts.

The cost of restoration is estimated at close to $800,000. The memorial restoration appeal funds is sitting around $130,000.

The structural engineer’s report says that bringing the memorial up to the new building standard will require the insertion of stainlesssteel rods into most parts of the structure, then locking them together to give the appropriate level of seismic strengthening.

The finish will require careful stonework, repointing and cementing.

A conservation plan has been produced and includes historical information, condition details, an assessment of heritage values, conservation

actions, a landscape-conservation report, and recommended preservation actions.

Deterioration had been identified in reports in 2002 and 2006, and restoration had begun in 2010. It was halted by the September 10, 2012 earthquake in Canterbury when the memorial suffered moderate damage.

Insurance had covered the work done to repair deterioration noted in 2002, 2006 and 2010 reports, but the biggest job now is restoration and bringing the structure up to the new building standard The memorial lists 139 names of those from the area who were killed in World War 1 and World War 2 .

The governor-general, Lord Jellicoe, laid the foundation stone on March 31, 1922 on the site of the old Akaroa Borough School, where many of those who killed had been educated.

The finished memorial was unveiled on March 12, 1924 by Sir Heaton Rhodes, the then minister of defence, with mayor George Armstrong presiding.

Close to $800,000 is need to restore the earthquakedamaged Banks Peninsula War Memorial in Akaroa.

RSA Life 25

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

fred rememBers for 53rd Time Peter Owens

Fred Cooper has walked in remembrance to the Gore Cenotaph for 53 years. This year the 91-year-old marshalled a parade of around 100 people for the town’s annual Remembrance Sunday commemoration services.

The commemoration is organised by the Gore District Memorial RSA, and the bulk of those involved had RSA connections.

Fred Cooper, retired from a construction company now managed by his son, Peter, is a life member of the RSA. He served a term as president, was on the executive committee for 44 years, was involved with the club’s welfare activities for 46 years, and remains closely involved with the Anzac Day services in Gore.

He believes the RSA continues to have a bright future—provided it sticks to the aims and objects for which it was founded.

He went from the farm to war at the age of 21 as a corporal in the Royal New Zealand Engineers 7 Field Company in Italy in 1943. He spent three years clearing land mines and building bridges as far north as Trieste.

David Kingsford, who is in his fourth year as club president, says the Gore RSA is in great condition and is very well supported even in difficult economic times. Like Fred Cooper, he emphasises the importance of its tradition of welfare.

Two separate committees work in tandem on the club’s welfare programme. One holds a record of all ex-service personnel in the district, and maintains regular communication with these people to ensure their welfare and needs are met.

The other committee addresses specific needs for ex-service personnel, arranges weekly visits by club executive members and volunteers to rest-homes and hospitals, and organises visits to house-bound returned personnel and their spouses. The club has also made large donations to the St John Ambulance appeal and other community organisations.

merv gets job done – with little fuss Fifteen years of consistent service was recognised when Mervyn Martin was awarded life membership of the Paeroa RSA & Citizens’ Club.

Merv – who joined the navy in 1951 and served in Korea and Malaya -– was a Paeroa committee member for many years, then vice-president for two years.

Since taking over as welfare officer at the end of 2006, he has organised Poppy Day collections and Anzac Day dawn services, performed funeral services for RSA and service members, arranged assistance for sick and needy members, and attended three national conference in this capacity.

He has also helped the Paeroa District Council organise an annual civic parade, and acted as parade commander for the march from the clubrooms to Primrose Hill.

Mervyn Martin has continued to have a strong involvement. He’s one of those who, with very little fuss, gets jobs done to help the daily running of the club.

Thanks painted for maniototo mine host At 91, Fred Cooper is still knocking parades into shape, most recently at the Remembrance Day parade (below) in Gore.

With about 2000 members, the Gore RSA runs a major social and recreational facility in the district. It was formed in 1917, not long after the parent association, and its first clubrooms opened in 1918.

In 1971 the club bought a site and building in the middle of town, altered and added to it, and opened there in July 1972. It bought two adjoining parcels of land in 1980, and growth has driven extensions and renovations in 1980 and in 2004.

Part of the 2004 changes was the conversion of the lounge into a “family” area. This has proved very popular with members, and it is quite common for three generations of a family to use facilities at the same time.

Dave Wyer’s support for Maniototo RSA subbranch members during his 30 years as publican of Ranfurly’s Lion Hotel has been formally recognised.

RSA president Colin Smith officially thanked him for his support and presented him with a painting by club member Glenys Walker and a voucher donated from the Dunedin RSA Welfare Trust.

The RSA and Dave Wyer worked in partnership, with the hotel hosting social evenings and meetings, and providing cooked breakfasts for members and their guests on Anzac Days.

“The RSA has been grateful for Dave’s support over his 30 years at the Lion Hotel and we wanted to express this to him,” Colin Smith said.

“With such a poignant symbol for the RSA, we

Local s Update saw this as the perfect gift to show our thanks”.

Dave Wyer also received a certificate of appreciation last year in recognition of his long-standing support for the branch.

Meadowbank Retirement Village apartments are now complete and open for viewing

The entertainment options have just got better at the Onehunga RSA. The club has refreshed its gaming room, (it now has two new machines and two new game-exchangers) and has acquired six new Pot Black pool tables.

Manager Rona McKenzie says the RSA aims to provide leisure activities for a wide group of people. The club offers opportunities for a quiet drink with family or friends in an air conditioned room, meals and sporting activities.

“We recognise that not everybody feels like an alcoholic beverage on arrival. We have coffee and tea for a nominal charge as well as a wide

range of non-alcoholic refreshments at all times.”

She says the objective is to create a friendly atmosphere where professionally trained staff serve with a smile to make members, guests and affiliated members feel welcome and comfortable.

Membership has been increasing, and members can join for 2013 at $30.

Any member can join the Warriors section, which makes them eligible for a draw to win a ticket to the NRL rugby league final.

There are six tickets to be won, with the winners getting a return flight/three nights of accommodation and a match ticket.

What have these six Onehunga RSA members got in common?

Each of them won a trip to see the Storm deal to the Bulldogs in the 2012 NRL grand final in Sydney. All they had to do was join the club’s Warriors section – which put them in the draw for the big prize.

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26 RSA Life

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

IT TOOk A wHILE, BUT HOkIANGA GUNS dOwN ITS TARGET Years of persistence have paid off for the Hokianga Memorial RSA, which is now the owner of a 122-year-old naval gun with an intriguing history.

The 1890 Hotchkiss six-pounder, which is described as being in excellent condition, has been installed and dedicated in front of the South Hokianga War Memorial Hall, in Opononi.

The Hotchkiss is sited alongside the grave of Opo the dolphin, which earned national fame in the 1950s.

Around 70 people turned out as padre John Klaricich blessed the gun. World War 2 veteran Glynn Fell, who has researched the gun’s history, outlined its working life.

Hokianga RSA secretary Peter Beer says he knew the gun was in storage in Devonport and tried for many years to persuade the Navy Museum to part with it.

“Then one day they rang up and offered it to us,” he says.

“I jumped at it and, within a month, we had it up here. Every RSA I know has a gun outside Left: The 122-year-old Hotchkiss gun stands guard outside the Hokianga RSA. Photo: PETER DE GRAAF, Northland Age/Northern Advocate.

the premises. Everybody’s very happy with it.”

For many years a World War 2 mine, which was washed up in the 1950s, was displayed outside the hall. However, it became so corroded it had to be removed in case children hurt themselves on it.

So began the Hokianga RSA quest for another piece of military memorabilia.

Soon after it was manufactured in 1890, the Hotchkiss gun was installed on the HMS Sybille, which was wrecked in 1901 in a storm off the South African coast – the Royal Navy’s only shipping loss in the South African War. The gun was salvaged and used from 1903 to 1912 on the Swordfish-class destroyer, HMS Spitfire. It re-appeared as a harbour defence gun in Hong Kong in 1917.

It was transported to Devonport naval base in Auckland in 1927 and was mounted at North Head at the start of World War 2.

It was removed from there in 1946, was placed in storage at the naval base, and was refurbished in 1976 and 1991.

The Hokianga RSA’s 186 members include three World War 2 veterans and 12 World War 2 widows.

PLAN BRINGS TAUPO RSA BAck INTO THE BLAck We managed to turn around a deficit into a small profit...Hopes are high that the club will continue to prosper.

A combined effort – involving club management and staff, and the RNZRSA – has produced a financial turnaround at the Taupo RSA. Like many clubs, pubs and hospitality businesses, the Taupo RSA suffered from the economic downturn through 2008-10.

The problems put the club’s viability in question.

Rent for the premises, rates, insurance and overheads costs were escalating; gaming and liquor legislation was tightening; and the

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The Taupo RSA turned to the expertise of the David Williams, the RNZRSA national manager hospitality. He visited the club, spent time with management, and helped come up with recovery procedures .

Secretary/manager Karen Katene then implemented the new policies and cost-cutting measures.

Discussions with staff – who, Karen Katene says, are definitely an important part of any business’s future – resulted in a display of loyalty to support the proposed measures.

She says daily teamwork and multi-tasking at the club by staff became an integral part of the recovery plan, and instrumental in minimising overheads without any hardship to members.

The spotlight was then focused on sourcing products from local outlets when and where possible.

“With the support of the RSA committees and staff, we managed to turn around a deficit from 2009-10 into a small profit for the year ended 2011,” she says.

The club is now working to maintain and consolidate on its recovery measures, and hopes are high that it will continue to prosper.

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RSA Life 27

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

vOLUNTEER TALENTS PLAy BIG PART IN TARAdALE REvAMP A huge clubroom makeover that took more than 12 months is nearing completion at the Taradale and Districts RSA Club. It’s part of rebranding and upgrading of RSA clubrooms around the country New Zealand in a bid to attract members.

Taradale & Districts RSA manager Ricky Allen says the task has been made possible by a team effort among the club’s 2500 members.

Many have willingly lent their varied talents to the renovations.

He says the club’s strategic planning committee began discussing the renovations in June 2011; the aim was to improve the experience for members, and to gather new members.

To begin with, the committee wasn’t sure what direction to take, he says. Among other options, the committee looked at merging, resiting, enlarging.

“It didn’t take us long to realise that our club is in a good position geographically for growth, we are basically debt free, we have the facilities, we have active and growing adjuncts, and the interest in making our club relative to its present membership.

“With an upgrade, we knew we would be attractive to new members.”

The committee came up with a tag line – ‘Embracing our heritage, securing our future’ – to reflect the club’s intention to continue doing what it has always done in a professional manner, while very much concentrating on the needs of prospective members.

The club remained during the renovations, which, Ricky says, was something of a miracle,

and thanks to the contractors working on the project.

“All the contractors were so good, they blended in to the club very well,” he says.

“On Thursdays we have housie which is sacred, and the contractors were not allowed to be there. So, every Thursday they would go to another job.”

The contractors included colour consultant Amanda Callinicos which helped to transform the clubrooms by replacing dark and heavy colours with light greys and browns to complement the new RSA branding and create a spacious feel within the club.

Heavy curtains have been replaced with venetian blinds, prompting one member to comment on how nice the new windows were.

“They’re actually the same windows, they just look so much nicer now,” Ricky says.

The sports area, the main lounge, the foyer, and the restaurant were all repainted and recarpeted, and the furniture recovered and powder-coated to co-ordinate with the new colour scheme.

In the main lounge, the roof and ceiling in the main lounge has been remodelled, and the supporting poles have also been remodelled thanks to a an ex-joiner member.

“We’ve got a lot of talent in the club with retired builders and joiners, and they’ve all helped out,” says Ricky Allen.; “It has been a wonderful team effort. Everyone’s talents have been used, and given freely and with joy.”

Below: The punters came out in force to enjoy Melbourne Cup day at the Taradale & Districts RSA

Manurewa RSA secretary/manager Steve Andrew (left) presents club member Rex Hays with a $40,000.00 cheque. Rex Hays was the winner of the Clubs New Zealand TAB draw on Saturday November 17. The winning wager was a $1 Easybet trifecta taken in the TAB pod.

A parade with a difference: Classic and vintage cars fall into line outside the Foxton RSA.

21 Supply co brings ceremony to Foxton The Foxton RSA was the scene for 21 Supply Company’s charter parade and beating the retreat, on December 8.

It was a full-ceremonial style occasion with company personnel marching with banners flying and bayonets fixed.

The Foxton RSA has risen from the ashes of the old club that was destroyed by fire on November 16, 2006.

The rebuilding of the club has now been completed, with the sealing and marking of the car-parking area, and the landscaping of the grounds and gardens, which are looked after by club member Charlie Potts.

The front entrance to the club has been lined with memorial trees dedicated to deceased returned service members.

The new facility, which was officially opened just before Anzac Day in April 2008, includes a restaurant, library, private-function room, stage, gaming room, offices, a parents’ room, and an extensive outdoor, covered area.

Following advice from local MP Nathan Guy on funding available for World War 1 centennial projects, the club is canvassing members for ideas. Projects can include commemorative events, memorials, exhibitions, restorations and publications.

28

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

What’s On MONTHLY/TWO-MONTHLY

8288612; 0274 978925; davecarol@xtra.co.nz.

CMT ASSOCIATION, SOUTH AUCKLAND BRANCH Meeting, second Saturday of month, Papakura RSA. Ex-CMT and National Servicemen welcome to join. Contact: John Bennetts – jandsbennetts@xtra.co.nz; 09 2986847.

JUNE

ITALY STAR ASSOCIATION (CHRISTCHURCH BRANCH) 2014 meetings 16 Feb, 20 Apr, 22 Jun, 10 Aug, 19 Oct, 23 Nov (luncheon) 1.30pm, Cashmere Club, 88 Hunter Tce, Christchurch. Lots of fun, talks by veterans, historians and people who have been to reunions in Italy, military displays, DVDs shows. Contact: Peter Scott, chairman – 27 Kenwyn Ave, St.Albans, Christchurch 8052; 03 3556732; peter.judy@actrix.co.nz.

NEW ZEALAND BRANCH, ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION Meeting 8 Dec, 2pm, Pt Chevalier RSA, Auckland. Full membership to serving or former RM, RMR and RN, HM Forces RM units, family members, Royal Marines Cadets. Contact: Peter Collins – 634 Papakura-Clevedon Rd, Ardmore R.D.2, Papakura 2582; 09 2967648; 021 1417119; peter-collins@xtra.co.nz; www. royalmarinesassociation.org/nz/rma_nz_home. html.

FEBRUARY 2013 REGULAR FORCE CADET SCHOOL BENNETT CLASS (1963) REUNION R9-10 Feb, Palmerston North. Contact: Roy Jones – 20 Woollybutt St, Gladstone, Queensland, Australia 4680; 0061 7 4978 2898; royvjones@dreamtilt.com.au.

NEW ZEALAND BATTLE OF CRETE ASSN AGM and luncheon, 20 Feb, Mt Maunganui RSA. Newsletter in new year. Contact: Deirdre Hauschild – c/- Mt Maunganui RSA, PO Box 4011, Mt.Maunganui South 3116; 07 5764362; ldhausch@xtra.co.nz.

NO 20 BOY ENTRANT SCHOOL (BES) & NO 2 CERTIFICATE ENGINEERING TRAINEES (CET) 1963 22-24 Feb, reunion, Blenheim. Contact: Rex Ashwell – 8 Scotston Grove, Blenheim 7201; 03 5788385, Ian Nalder or Rex Ashwell – macaranga@ozemail.com.au.

MARcH 6 FD (6 INDEP FIELD SQN) NATIONAL REUNION 9-10 Mar, organised by Wairarapa ex-members.

Contact: Gordon Reid – 06 3727141; Helen McKenzie – 06 3727842; rosemarkie@wise. net.nz.

41 SQN REUNION 15-17 Mar, RSA Clubrooms (Clubs of Marlborough), Blenheim. Contact: Murray Brown – murray_brown@clear.net.nz; 9 Sherwood Place, Blenheim. E-mail or mail brief note if you wish to register as a possible starter.

APRIL BRNC DARTMOUTH 28 APRIL 1963 NAVAL AIR CADETS 5OTH REUNION 27 Apr, Royal Castle Hotel. Dartmouth, United Kingdom. Contact: Richard G.Parker – P.O.Box 596, Kerikeri 0245, Bay of Islands, New Zealand; 09 4016661; sandycrispins@extra.co.nz.

MAY RNZN 1/70 INTAKE (7 JAN 1970) REUNION 10-12 May, Hamilton. Contact: Wayne Tapsell – 07 9575624, 029 2809734; wayne.tapsell@ customs.govt.nz. Neil Brimblecombe – 021 831872, neil@kiwibrims.com. Dave Franks - 07

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND MILITARY BRATS OF SINGPAORE REUNION (ANZMBOS) 7-9 Jun, Auckland. Friday evening: Meet & Greet, Army HQ, Arch Hill. Saturday: morning – memorial service, Centotaph, War Memorial Museum; evening – dinner. ANZMBOS – the children of servicemen who served in Singapore from 1971 to 1988, who attended the school run by Australian and New Zealand defence forces – was formed nine years ago. It has about 350 members. Contact: Colin Liddell – colinl@camelspace.com.

NEW ZEALAND SPECIAL AIR SERVICE SQUADRON (NZSAS) 1955-57 7-9 Jun, Hotel Armitage, Tauranga. Contact: David Ogilvy – 6 La Cumbre Close, Bethlehem, Tauranga 3110; 07 5779014; ogie@kinect.co.nz.

JULY POWS/FAMILIES OF POWS, STALAG XVIIIZ (AUSTRIA) & SURROUNDING CAMPS MEETING & COMMEMORATION 26-28 Jul, Wolfsberg, Austria. Get-together and reception with the mayor of Wolfsberg; visit Wolfsberg Museum exhibition; visit former camp site; commemorative ceremony at the cemetery; Meeting with local families in contact with POWs during war; sightseeing; visit former work camps. Contact: Ian Brown, United Kingdom – ian.brown47@ btinternet.com.

OcTOBER ROYAL AUSTRALIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS ASSN NATIONAL REUNION 25-28 Oct (Labour weekend), Barossa Valley, South Australia. Register: http://www.rasigs. com. Contact: RASigs Assn SA – Bruce Long, 0417 227533; president.sa@rasigs.com.

2RNZIR BAND REUNION 25-28 Oct (Labour Weekend). Expressions of interest sought.

Contact: Les Thompson – 03 323 8984; 021 02227739; steelhip@clear.net.nz.

NOVEMBER HMNZS TARANAKI, ALL-SHIPS REUNION 1-3 Nov, Papatoetoe Cosmopolitan Club, Auckland. Shipmates from all RNZN ships invited. Expressions of interest: Reunion2013@ hmnzstaranaki.org. Contact: Bill Sedgwick – P.O.Box 72831, Papakura 2244; 09 2963022. Bob Gage 09 4838502. Charlie Govind 09 2998089.

Raniera (Dan) Bassett 09 2637247.

MARcH 2014 AIR FORCE AVIONICS REUNION 14-16 Mar. All trades, all years. Enquiries: avionicsreunion@gmail.com.

cALLS TO JOIN AUCKLAND CMT/NS ASSOCIATION INC Welcomes all ex-CMT & National Service men who trained with the army, navy and air force under the scheme. Contact: Brian Caltaux – 09 4202004; caltauxbands@xtra.co.nz.

BRITISH AIRBORNE FORCES (NZ) INC Are (or were) you para-Trained? Would you like to meet other ex-(or even current) paras, from the Parachute Regiment, SAS, or from the supporting arms - engineers, signals, medics, artillery etc.?

Would you like to help maintain the Airborne spirit around the world, and particularly in New Zealand?

We meet regularly in Northern (Auckland to Taupo), Central (Taupo to Wellington) and Southern (South Island). Full membership - all ranks of Parachute Regiment, SAS, supporting arms, and those with special service to British Airborne Forces; associate

membership - immediate family; affiliate membership - those in airborne units of other countries. Contact: Frank Clark, president – 04 2336123. Roy Tilley, secretary – 04 5660850, rmt@xtra.co.nz. Website, www.britishairbornenz.tripod.com.

CANT NMWC REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION Seeking members to rekindle their activity with the association. Regular meetings at Papanui RSA, Christchurch. Send rank, name, address, phone number and e-mail address to: Frank Newsome –107a Langdons Rd, Papanui Christchurch 8053; 03 3525471; frankandaudrey@clear.net.nz.

CMT ASSOCIATION CHRISTCHURCH INC If you took part in CMT or National Service training in the army, navy or air force, contact: Alison Smith, secretary – CMT Assoc Inc, 21 Kearneys Rd, Bromley, Christchurch 8062, 03 9817623, legles@ paradise.net.nz.

CMT ASSOCIATION SOUTH AUCKLAND BRANCH Ex-CMT and National Servicemen welcome. Meets monthly, 2nd Saturday, Papakura RSA. Contact: John Bennetts – jandsbennetts@xtra.co.nz; 09 2986847.

CMT ASSOCIATION SOUTH CANTERBURY BRANCH Ex-CMT and National Servicemen welcome. Contact: Bruce Townshend – 14 Ewen Rd, Temuka 7920; 03 6156637; Temuka-RSA@xtra.co.nz.

HOROWHENUA ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION – LEVIN 50th year, seeking new members - gunners, ex-gunners, associated corps. Meets May and September to celebrate Gunners’ Day and El Alamein Day, lunch, Levin RSA. Contact: Adam Gibson – 34 Gordon Place, Levin; 06 3684187.

EX-RAF HALTON, RAF LOCKING OR RAF CRANWELL AIRCRAFT, RNZAF APPRENTICES. Contact: Ed Austin – 67/46 Beresford St, Pukekohe 2120, 09 2392698, edaustin38@gmail.com.

HMNZS LACHLAN 1949–53 FIRST TWO COMMISSIONS 60th ANNIVERSARY, FINAL REUNION Contact: Keith Goddard – 4 Kimberley Rd, Waihi 3610, 07 8633318, 021 2516220, goddz@ xtra.co.nz. Frank Robb – 14/57 Enfield St, Hamilton 3200, 07 8644246.

ITALY STAR ASSOCIATION (CHRISTCHURCH BRANCH) New members, veterans, family members, historians. Contact: Peter Scott, chairman – 27 Kenwyn Ave, St.Albans, Christchurch 8052; 03 3556732; peter.judy@actrix.co.nz.

MOUNTED TROOPERS ASSOCIATION North Island branch of Royal NZ Armoured Corps Association. The $25 annual subscription fee includes membership of both the MTA and the RNZAC. Anyone who is serving or has served in RNZAC units in any way is eligible join - the only criteria is that you must have worn the ‘Black Beret’. Spouses of deceased eligible personnel are welcome. The MTA aims to bring former comrades together again through national reunions, members’ birthdays, funerals, unveilings, and regimental occasions to which the association is invited. Managed by a six-person trust board - Chris Cooper (chairman), Bob Williams (secretary), Christine Campbell (treasurer), Doug Morrow, Geoff Kreegher and Colin Campbell. Prospective members in New Zealand should contact nearest troop co-ordinator; if you’re overseas, contact the MTA secretary. Contacts: Secretary – Bob Williams, P.O. Box 384, Thames 3540, New Zealand; +64 7 8686506; bw.crescent@ xtra.co.nz. Troop co-ordinators – Auckland: Moa Larkins, P.O.Box 300014, Albany, Auckland 752; manofaction@slingshot.co.nz. Waikato/Bay of Plenty:Chris Cooper, cooppen@xtra.co.nz; 07 5444917. Hawke’s Bay: Willie Walker, 19 Pania Place, Parklands Estate, Napier; willieanddenise@ hotmail.co.nz. Taranaki: Lenny Robinson, LENR@ xtra.co.nz; 06 7638594. Central/Soputhern North Island: Stew Couchman, blongami@xtra.co.nz; 06 3258593.y, NEW ZEALAND BRANCH, ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION Meets two-monthly, 2pm, Pt Chevalier

RSA, Auckland. Full membership to serving or former RM, RMR and RN, HM Forces RM units, family members, Royal Marines Cadets. Contact: Peter Collins – 634 Papakura-Clevedon Rd, Ardmore R.D.2, Papakura 2582; 09 2967648; 021 1417119; petercollins@xtra.co.nz; www.royalmarinesassociation. org/nz/rma_nz_home.html.

NEW ZEALAND KOREA VETERANS ASSOCIATION INC Veteran membership available to NZDF members who have completed a posting in the United Nations Military Commission since 1 Jan 1958 and have been awarded appropriate medallic recognition.

Membership details: Douglas Callander, secretary – 23 Longcroft Tce, Newlands, Wellington 6037; 04 4783238; 04 4783602 (fax); callanderd@clear.net.nz.

NEW ZEALAND MALAYAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION INC Welcomes new members who served with Commonwealth forces or police in Malaya/Malaysia/Borneo or Singapore. Contact: Barry Allison – 6 Coldstream Rd, Gisborne 4010; 06 8677284; bazbarbzinggizzie@xtra.co.nz.

OX & BUCKS LI, KINGS ROYAL RIFLE CORPS, RIFLE BRIGADE AND ROYAL GREEN JACKETS All past members of RGJ and former regiments invited.

Contact: Frank Jones – 09 4766974.

RAF CHANGI ASSOCIATION Includes HQ FAR EAST AIRFORCE, seeks NZ members ex RAF or RNZAF, who served at RAF Changi 1946-71. Contact: B W Lloyd – 32 Redwood, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 8JN, UK. REGULAR FORCE CADET ASSOCIATION (INC) Provides contact between ex-cadets and enables them to re-establish contacts. Membership – $10 a year (July 1-June 30). Contact: Secretary, RF Cadet Association, P.O. Box 715, Paraparaumu 5032; www. rfcadet,org.nz.

RNZAF COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE GRADUATES The New Zealand Defence Force Command and Staff College has formed an alumni association. Records of previous associations’ members were misplaced during move from Whenuapai to Trentham in 2004. Contact is if you wish to join, would like latest information, or wish to re-connect with former colleagues and course members. Contact: Alumni secretary NZDF CSC – Trentham Military Camp, Private Bag 905, Upper Hutt 5140; 04 5271008; 04 5271009 (fax); csc.alumni@nzdf.mil.nz.

ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVY ASSOCIATION, CANTERBURY BRANCH All who served in RNZN or Commonwealth navies, and their partners, welcome.

Monthly meetings, regular social get-togethers, ship visits, four newsletters a year. Contact: Miles McIlraith (ex-RNZN), treasurer – 4987 State Highway 75, R.D., Little River 7591; 03 3251937; 03 3251936 (fax).

SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY VETERANS OF AUSTRALASIA (SAMVOA) All who served in uniform in South Africa and now live in New Zealand are invited to join. SAMVOA, which is running in Australia, is intended to preserve memories, and commemorate those who were injured, and fell in action. Attends Remembrance Day and Anzac Day parades, and regular meetings. Information and application form: Chris Pattison – 021 2316612; ytrose@vodafone.co.nz.

THE NEW ZEALAND MALAYA VETERANS’ ASSOCIATION welcomes new members who served with Commonwealth Forces or Police in Malaya/Malaysia/Borneo or Singapore. Contact: Barry Allison – 6 Coldstream Rd, Gisborne 4010, 06 8677284; bazbarbzingizzie@xtra.co.nz; www. malaya.vets.co.nz

29

RSA REVIEW • AUTUMN 2012

Local RSAs NORTHLANd

Northen Wairoa RSA Club

Hokianga Rd Dargaville Ph: 09 439 8164

All Visitors Most WelcoMe

Clubrooms open 11am Meals: Thurs Fri & Sat 6-8pm Light Lunches: Always available CateRing on Request 09 439 8164

KAITAIA FAR NORTH (Kaitaia) RSA CLUB

Matthews Avenue, Kaitaia When visiting the Far North you are welcomed to visit our Clubrooms where comfort and friendship is assured.

Billiards - Snooker - Pool - Bowls - Darts

Pleasant lounge and excellent bar facilities

Kaikohe & District Memorial RSA (Inc) We are open everyday from 1pm Restaurant hours Mon and Thurs 6.00 -7.45pm or by arrangement Membership Night on Monday Pool Table - Sky TV - Pokies Excellent Accomodation next door Mid North Motor Inn Ph 09 405 3160

Courtesy Coach Available Please phone (09) 408 0423

THE HUB OF THE CITY

Warmly welcomes visitors to our Clubrooms at 7 Rust Ave Bar Service 7 days Snooker, Pool, Darts, Gaming Courtesy Coach Bistro Wed to Fri 12-2 & 5-8p.m.

Saturday 6-8p.m.

PH 09 438 3792 admin@whangareirsa.co.nz

“Hub of the North”

158 Broadway Kaikohe Ph 09 401 2368 Fax 09 401 2370

Visitors always welcome ANY CHANGES TO CLUB ADVERTS OR CLASSIFIED ADVERTS PLEASE CONTACT DAVE McKEE Ph: 03 983 5518 Fax: 03 983 5552 Email:davem@waterfordpress.co.nz

28 Neville St Warkworth Ph 09 425 8568 Opening Hours 11am Mon - Sat 3pm Sun Gunners' Restaurant

Lunch 12 - 1.30pm Wed- Fri Dinner 5 - 8.30pm Thurs-Sat Full Bar Facilities 18 Pokies * Mystery J/P * Sky Tv * Pool * Snooker * Darts * Bowls

Live Entertainment & Dancing every Friday evening.

Call in on your way north & view our memorabilia tables - A warm welcome awaits you

RUSSELL RSA 1 Chapel St Russell 0202 Ph: 09 403 7773 Fax: 09 403 7885Email: russellrsa@xtra.co.nz www.russellrsa.org.nz

OPEN 7 DAYS FROM 11AM TILL CLOSE

Diggers Restaurant open 7 days Lunch & Dinner Bar snacks available Pool, Darts, Gaming Machines Huge outdoor courtyard

Come and enjoy our clubrooms while holidaying in historical Russell We will make you welcome

Ph 09 407 8585 37 Cobham Road

KERIKERI

RSA (Inc) Visitors and Guests Most Welcome Bistro Wed-Sun 5.30 - 8.30pm

Open Seven Days

meAls Our spacious Club rooms allow us to cater for large or small groups Lunch every Friday 12 - 2pm We have large outdoor garden area, Big Screen for major games, Sky T.V., pool, bowls, darts, cards, fishing, golf, quiz.

663 swAnson rd - Ph 833 9013 A wArm invitAtion is extended to rsA members & Guests to the friendliest rsA in the west

SILVERDALE

MEALS Lunch: Mon to Fri Dinner: Everynight Entertainment:Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun If you are in town give us a call. Ph: 09 828 5000

TAKAPUNA RSA CLUB

Cnr Northcote Rd & Mary Poynton Cres

Ph: 09 489 6738

The Razza....the place to be.

Welcomes visiting RSA members. Open 7 days from 11.00am.

Catering 7 days from 12 noon. Monday nights for Rebel (Outdoor) Bowls. Wednesday nights for Texas Hold’ Em poker.

Friday nights for Karaoke.

43A Vipond Rd, Whangaparaoa, Turn off at top of Silverdale Hill onto Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Vipond Rd is 2.7km on left A special welcome to members of clubs with reciprocal visiting rights to use our club facilities. Comfort & friendship is assured

Open: 11am Mon-Sat. Noon on Sun Family Restaurant Hrs Lunch: 12-2pm, Tues-Sat. 12.30pm-2pm Sun Dinner 5.30-8.30pm Wed-Sat, 5.30-7.30pm Tues & Sun Note Sunday Lunch & Dinner Carvery

AUcKLANd

Bus trips catered for by request.

RSA

114 Hobsonville Road Ph: 09 416 7227 Restaurant Ph: 09 416 9239

A warm, warm welcome is assured to all members and visitors. Special welcome to local and outof town visitors.

Open Tues from 4pm, Wed - Thurs from 2pm Fri - Sun from Midday.

• Restaurant open Fri - Sun lunch, Tues-Sun - Dinner excellent meals at reasonable prices • Live entertainment last Friday of each month, Karaoke all other Fridays.

• Excellent Bar staff & service • Large car park. Easy bus turnnig • Coach Tours welcome - advance notice helpful • Facilities available for function hire • Other facilities include darts & pool

THE SMALL RSA WITH THE BIG HEART

www.whangareirsa.co.nz

WARKWORTH & DISTRICTS RSA Inc

Come & visit your mates. A friendly Welcome Assured

11am - 11.30pm Sun 1pm - 9pm

HOBSONVILLE

WHANGAREI

Overlooking the Racecourse

memoriAl rsA

hours Mon toThurs 11am - 11pm. Fri & Sat

Hours 11am-10pm, Mon to Sat. Noon-6pm Sun

Family Restaurant - Meals Wed Thurs Friday and by arrangement.

AVONDALE RSA

swAnson

Entertainment & Dancing Fri & Sat night Snooker * Pool * Indoor Bowls * Fishing *Outdoor Bowls * Golf and Darts* Gaming Machines Raffles: Wed, Thurs

Contact Sec/Manager Sue East 09 424 9026 Fax: 09 424 2446

ORAKEI RSA

Ph: 09 528 6245 & 09 521 2710

(Members)

Hours: Mon : 12-7.30pm. Tues:11am-8pm Wed: 11-9pm. Thurs & Fri: 11-11pm. Sat: 11-9pm. Sun: 2-7pm.

Bistro Lunch Tues-Fri 12-2pm. Evening Thurs-Fri 6-8pm Function room bookings for catering.

Sports sections, gaming machines ,Sky TV, big screen TV Handy to city centre, Ellerslie Race Course, Kelly Tarlton Underwater World, Eastern suburbs, Mission Bay, St Helliers, Remuera etc.

WAIHEKE RSA

Recreation Dr, Birkenhead, North Shore Ph: 09 418 2424 Fax: 09 418 3054 Email: secman@birkenheadrsa.com www.birkenheadrsa.com We welcome all RSA members & their guests to enjoy the friendly atmosphere & excellent facilities at our clubrooms

Clubrooms open sat - mon 11am tues - Fri 9 am bar open 7 Days from 11am Don stott memorial restaurant

INC

Provides excellent ecconomical A la Carte meals Wed-Friday 12 -2pm Wed-Sunday from 5.30pm. Groups by arrangement

live entertainment

Wed: 1.30-4pm. Fri & Sat: from 7.00pm Pool * Darts * I/D Bowls * taB large screen sky * gamIng machInes tea/coffee & lIght meals anytIme

ALL NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

Clubrooms and Bar Open 7 Days Restaurant Open 6 Days, closed Monday Take advantage of the free transport to our doorstep for Super Gold Card holders.

Spoil yourselves with a trip to our wonderful Island and enjoy our hospitality.

Ph: (09) 372 9019 Bar: (09) 372 5554

Restaurant: (09) 372 6655 E-mail: waiheke.rsa@xtra.co.nz

TE ATATU

MEMORIAL RSA

1 Harbour View Rd Te Atatu Peninsula

Mt Wellington Panmure RSA 11 Pleasant View Rd Panmure

Ph: 09 570 5913 Fax: 09 570 5903 Email secrsa@vodafone.co.nz Excellent restaurant at reasonable prices. Bus loads by arrangement.

Dinner: Wed to Sat ---- Dances Friday Nights

Darts - Pool - Snooker - Gaming Machines - Courtesy coach available for local pick-ups / drop-offs When in Auckland Visit our Friendly Club.

NEW LYNN

Open 7 Days: Monday 13.00 - 22.00 Tuesday 11.00 - 22.00 Wednesday 11.00 - 22.00 Thursday 11.00 - 22.00 Friday 11.00 - 23.00 Saturday 11.00 - 22.00 Sunday 13.00 - 21.00

Restaurant: Lunch - Wednesday - Friday 12.00 - 14.00 Dinner - Wednesday - Saturday 17.30 - 21.00 Sunday 17.30 - 20.30

Present this Advert and redeem $1.00 off your meal

Great Food Great Chefs Phone: 09 834 3698

Memorial RSA (Inc)

2 Veronica St Ph: 09 827 3411 Where a friendly welcome is assured. A must stopover when visiting Auckland BAR & TAB FACILITIES Open 7days Gaming Facilities FREYBERG RESTAURANT Lunches: Tues-Sun 12-2pm, Dinner: Wed-Sat 5.30pm open

Band Friday Nights Handy to rail & bus. Shop in New Lynn & relax in our spacious clubrooms

The Best in the West

PAPATOETOE

Bus Trip Lunches phone Rona Major Games on Big Screen or Weekend Entertainment Snooker - Pool - Darts - Warriors Supporters Section

We have excellent facilities for reunions and other functions NEW RETURNED AND SERVICE MEMBERS WELCOME. Inquiries to Sec/Manager 09 636 6644 PO Box 13016, Onehunga

Glen Eden RSA

9 Glendale Rd West Auckland Ph: 09 818 4219 Web: www.glenedenrsa.co.nz

29 Belgium Street, Ostend

BIRKENHEAD RSA

The Orpheus Restaurant Open Thurs - Sat lunch 12 - 2 pm, dinner 5.30 - 8pm

DISTRICT RSA (Inc)

22 Wallace Rd Ph: 09 278 6372 Email: papatoetoersa@xtra.co.nz Bar Hours Mon 11am -7.30pm Tues, Wed: 11am - 10pm Thurs: 11am - 10.30pm Fri: 11am - 10pm Sat: 11am - 11pm Sun: noon - 7pm BISTRO Lunch: Tues -Fri 12-1.00pm Dinner: Tues 6pm - 7.30pm Thurs Fri Sat 6pm - 8.00pm. Ph: 09 278 6374

(Hours may vary without prior notice) Social Nights with live bands: Thurs & fortnightly Saturday.

Family Nights - have entertainment on the second Friday of the month and starting in mid-July on Friday nights, Housie, Trivia and Karaoke

Snooker Gaming Machines 8 Ball I/D Bowls Darts Sky Tv

Whether you are going to or from the Airport or just passing through pop in & spend a relaxing & friendly time with us.

We Are Your Airport Club

Meals Lunch: Tues - Fri. Dinner: Thurs - Sun. Entertainment: Fri & Sat.

We are better than the rest. We are the friendliest in the West

Ph 09 846 8673 1136 Great North Rd

Affiliated Members and Guests Most Welcome Restaurant, Family Karaoke Sundays from 1pm Functions venue available email admin@ptchevrsa.co.nz

Friday night raffles, Entertainment Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun

HENDERSON RSA

66-70 Railside Ave Ph (09) 838 9012 www.hsnrsa.co.nz

Service with a smile, and bar prices better than most.

18 gaming machines, self service TAB, Housie every Thursday, live entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings, 4 snooker tables, 3 pool tables and 8 competition dart boards. 5 big screen TV’s.

Whatever you’re interested in we’ve got it covered, visit us today!

eAst CoAst bAYs rsA (inc)

15 Bute Road Browns Bay Ph: 09 478 8033 North of the Harbour Bridge

when heading north, staying or visiting the north shore, stop at east Coast bays rsA Lunches Tues-Sat 12-2pm.Dinner Wed Carvery 6-8pm Thurs-Sat 6-8.30pm Sun from 5.30pm Visit ouR CLuBRooMs Open: Mon-Sat from 11am Sun 2-8pm

DanCing FRi & sat 7.30PM

Coach tours welcome by arrangement

darts * Pool * snooker housie * i/d bowls * dinning & dancing A wArm welcome to All members & their guests

30

RSA REVIEW • AUTUMN 2012

Local RSAs MANUREWA

OTOROHANGA MEMORIAL

2-8 Maich Road, Manurewa Phone: 09 267 0515 Office & Fax : 09 266 8673

Now located in The Otorohanga Club, Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga Open 9am Monday to Saturday, 11am Sunday

RSA (Inc)

Lunches: Tues-Sun 12-2pm Dinners: Wed-Sun 5.30-8.30pm Sun: from 5.30pm Anzac Bar: Entertainment every Fri-Sat-Sun Darts : Snooker : 8 Ball : Bowls: Sky Tv : Gaming : TAB

President Graham & members extend the hand of friendship to you & yours and invite local & out of town visitors to our friendly new RSA Clubrooms

All new members most welcome

WAIKATO / KING cOUNTRY / BAY OF PLENTY

TE AROHA MEMORIAL RSA (Inc) Rewi Street

Ph 07 884 8124

Club open from Mon 3pm- Tues - Sat 2pm, Meals Available Thurs, Fri, Sat from 6pm A warm, friendly welcome awaits you

VISITORS CORDIALLY WELCOME

OPOTIKI COUNTY RSA INC When passing through Opotiki call in and enjoy our hospitality.

We are the Gateway to East Cape Club Hours: Mon-Sat 1pm till late Sun 2pm till late Meals + Bar Snacks 7 days Membership draw nights Wed, Fri, Sat. Snooker - Pool - Indoor Bowls - Darts St John Street, OPOTIKI. Phone (07) 315 6174

NGARUAWAHIA RSA (Inc)

4 Market St, P: 07 824 8905, E: ngaruawahiarsa@vodafone.co.nz

Friendly social atmosphere. Entertainment including live music, raffles, quizzes. Children welcome till 9:30pm. Pool, Snooker, Darts, Gaming Machines, Sky TV, Courtesy Van

Bar hours: Tues-Sat 12pm until late Restaurant hours: Tues-Sat 12-2pm & 6pm until late

MT MAUNGANUI

RETURNED & SERVICES ASSOCIATION (INC)

Top restaurant with excellent a la carte meals Open Tuesday to Sunday

Clubrooms open 7 days Mon/Tues 10.00am-9.00pm Wed/Thurs 11.00am-10.00pm Fri/Sat 11.00am-11.00pm Sunday noon-8.00pm

Restaurant open 7 days Lunch: Mon/Fri Noon-1.30pm Dinner: Mon/Sat 6.00-8.00pm Sunday: Carvery 5.30pm-7.30pm

Entertainment every Friday & Saturday night, Sundays from 4.00pm Regular Shows.

TAB, 18 Gaming Machines, 3 Eight Ball & 8 Snooker Tables, Sky TV, Big Screens & Data Projector, Courtesy Bus, Friendly Members, Great Staff, Wonderful Food, 12 Beers on tap, Excellent Wines, All This in the best climate in NZ Phone / Fax: 07 575 4477 Web: www.mtrsa.co.nz Email: mtrsa@xtra.co.nz Affiliated Members, Guests and Potential Members Welcome

MATAMATA

MEMORIAL R.S.A. (Inc.) Ngaio Street Ph: 07 888 7190 Open from Mon- Sat 3pm, Sun 4pm.

Poppyfields Restaurant:

Open for bus tours & private functions by arrangement

TOKAANU-TURANGI & Districts Memorial Rsa

Ph: 07 386 8717 PO Box 1 Katopu Place Turangi Email: trgirsa@hotmail.com Bar 7 days from 11am Restaurant Thur - Sat evenings Gaming Machines, Snooker, Pool, Darts, Indoor Bowls, Library, Big Screen Sky TV TuRn 3RD RIGHT FROM ROunDABOuT

HASTINGS RSA

Gaming Machines T.A.B. Sky Big screen, EFTPOS Entertainment most Friday and Saturday nights 8-ball, Snooker, Darts, Indoor Bowls Function Hall available for Reunion Meetings etc.

Avenue Road West Ph: 06 878 8808 Fax: 06 878 7642

OpEN SEvEN DAyS

Ample pArking (free) for buses And cArs

All The Games You Can Play, TAB & Superscreen TVs/Videos

TAUPO

“The Centre Of it All”

* Gaming Machines * Sky Tv * Snooker * 8 Ball * Indoor Bowls Rendezvous Restaurant Dinner: Wed-Sat 5.00 - 8.00pm Closed Sunday

Club Hours Mon- Wed: 11am-10pm.

Thurs- Sat: 11am - Late. Sun: 2 - 8pm Horomatangi Street Phone: 07 378 7476 Please visit our wesite at: www.tauporsa.co.nz

TE TE PUKE PUKE

MEMORIAL MEMORIAL RSA RSA A (Inc) (Inc)

16 Oxford Street Ph: 07 573 7922

Hours: Mon 1pm - 6.30 pm, Tues - Sat 11am - 9pm Restaurant open Thurs, Fri and Sat nights. Tues - Lunch

All RSA members & Visitors are most welcome to our warm & friendly, air conditioned club

Taumarunui & District RSA

10 Marae St, Taumarunui PO Box 24 PH: 07 895 7517 FAX: 07 895 8343 Email: taumrsa@xtra.co.nz

MANAGER: John Callinan MEMBERS: 862 Restaurant open 7 nights from 5:30pm Club open daily from 11:00am Sunday from 1:00pm 18 Gaming Machines, Courtesy Coach Charge back facilities to local motels.

If you are coming to Taumarunui we can arrange local tours, golf club bookings, Motel Bookings.

Entertainment Centre of Taumarunui

TE AWAMUTU

District Memorial RSA (Inc)

381 ALEXANDER STREET

Turn into the main street at the traffic filter and look for our Rose Garden at the end of the main shopping area.

Bar Hours - Mon-Thurs: 11am- 9pm Fri: 11-11pm.

Sat: 11-10pm

WHAKATANE RSA (Inc)

Richardson St Ph: 07 307 0343 Fax: 07 307 2604 Email: whakatanersa@xtra.co.nz

Open 7 Days ---- Bar Hours

Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm.Fri & Sat 10am till late. Sun 10.30-8pm Restaurant Hours Lunch and Dinner 7 days Bar Snacks Available Gaming Machines - Big Screens - 8 Ball - Snooker Darts - Indoor Bowls - Line Dancing - Function Room Live Entertainment Friday Nights

GAllIPOlI ReSTAURANT Ph: 06 876 4739 Open everyday great value meals

vISITORS WELCOME

Naenae Memorial RSA (Inc) 23, Treadwell St, Ph 04 567 8159, Open 7 Days Indoor Bowls * Darts * Snooker Outdoor Bowls * Pentanque

When visiting Hutt Valley call at our comfortable clubrooms.

A WARM WELCOME AWAITS YOU

Close to motels in the heart of town

544 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui THE NEW GENERATION RSA

EAST cOAST - HAWKES BAY WAIRARAPA - TARANAKI MANAWATU - WELLINGTON

RSA (Inc)

Sun: 1- 8pm

Restaurant Hours - Dinner: Fri Sat Sun: 5.00pm onwards

Groups catered for during week on request

Come and visit our friendly Club the

‘ROSE of the WAIKATO’

HAMILTON Combined Returned Services Club

Rostrevor Street, Po Box 9028 Ph 07 8380131 Fax 07 8340170 Email: hamcrsc@clear.net.nz. Web: www.hamcrsc.co.nz

Open 7 Days Club Restaurant Lunches Tues-Fri Dinner Tues-Sun from 5.30pm.

FUNCTION BOOKINGS BY ARRANGEMENT 18 Gaming Machines * TAB * Sky Big Screen * ATM *Eft Pos * 8 Ball * Snooker * Euchre * 500 * Darts * I/D Bowls

A Friendly Welcome in Warm Whakatane

WHANGAMATA RSA (INC)

Otaki & District Memorial RSA 9 Raukawa Street Ph: 06 36 46221 Open Tues - Sunday Dining room Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun roast lunch TAB - Sky - Snooker - Darts Fridays entertainment Affiliated Members and Guests most welcome

324 Port Road, Whangamata Ph/Fax: 07 865 9419 Email: whangamata.rsa@actrix.co.nz Web: www.whangamatarsanz.com

Gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula

Clubrooms Open: 7 days from 11 am Restaurant Open: 6 days from 11 am Closed Mondays Group Bookings, Bus Tours, etc. by arrangement

Entertainment Big Screen TV’s, Snooker, 8 Ball, Darts, Indoor Bowls, Golf, 12 Gaming Machines

Visitors Most Welcome

ACHILLES RESTAURANT Welcome to All. Open for lunch Friday from 12 noon.

Dinners Mon, Wed & Thu from 5.30; Fri & Sat from 6.00pm All facilities, Gaming Machines.

110 Amohia Street (Just 50 meters off SH1) Tel: 04 902 7927 www.pramrsa.co.nz

SEATOUN RSA Inc 12-16 Dundas St , Seatoun Wellington Ph: 04 388 2029 Operating from Seatoun Bowling Club premises Open from 3 pm Mon - Fri. 2 pm Sat. 3 pm Sun

ROTORUA RSA (Inc)

ENJOY OUR COMPANY AND MAKE THE STOP

Haupapa St, Rotorua

We offer a warm welcome to our thermally heated club.

Bar open 7 days.

Restaurant Tues-Fri 12-2pm & Tues-Sat 6-8pm New Café Mon-Fri from 9am-2pm Sky TV, Big Screen TV, Snooker, 8 Ball, Darts Indoor Bowls, Flag 500, Mahjong, Line Dancing, Old Time Dancing, 18 Gaming machines, Live bands

Registered Military Museum

VISITORS WELCOME

SOUTH TARANAKI RSA (Inc) Bar Hours: Mon, Tues 3-7pm Wed 3-9pm, Thurs 3-7pm.

Fri, Sat 3-9pm Clubrooms open some mornings Bistro Meals: Fri. 5-7pm

Princess Street Hawera When in our area you are cordially invited to visit our Clubrooms & enjoy our hospitality. A friendly welcome is assured to all.

Rotorua RSA

1072 Haupapa St, Rotorua Phone/Fax: 348 1056 Email: rotrsa@xtra.co.nz www.rotrsa.co.nz

RSA TAURANGA 1237 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga Ph 07 578 9654 Fax 07 577 0715 Email: admin@tgarsa.co.nz www.tgarsa.co.nz

Big Screen TV’s, Snooker, Pool, Darts, Indoor Bowl, Cards, 18 Gaming Machines, Live Bands

WANGANUI Great Entertainment...

S

BER MEM ME W NE ELCO W

Live Bands 18 Gaming Machines TAB Terminal Big Screen TVs' 8 Ball * Darts * Bowls Euchre * Housie Raffles * Members' Jackpots

Gallipoli Restaurant

Lunch Tuesday to Saturday from 11.30am Dinner Monday & Wednesday to Saturday from 5.30pm Tuesday Pension Day Special - Lunches Whiteboard Dinner Specials

… MEMBERS AND BONA FIDE GUESTS WELCOME ...

Bar Hours - Open 7 Days - From 11.00am

170 St Hill Street, Wanganui Phone: Clubrooms 345 5750 * Restaurant 345 4140 *

Oaktree Restaurant

Email: admin@wanganuirsa.co.nz * Website: www.wanganuirsa.co.nz

“When in the Bay stay with us” Motor Inn accommodation available Excellent Rates “Visitors Welcome Anytime”

ANY CHANGES TO CLUB ADVERTS OR CLASSIFIED ADVERTS PLEASE CONTACT DAVE McKEE Ph: 03 983 5518 Fax: 03 983 5552 Email:davem@waterfordpress.co.nz

Open 7 Days from Breakfast - 7.00am - Lunch - 12.00 noon Dinner - 5.00pm

Courtesy Bus 027 345 5750

31

RSA REVIEW • AUTUMN 2012

Local RSAs NAPIER RSA 34 Vautier Street, Napier

Office: 06 835 7629 Fax: 06 835 1357 Club: 06 835 1034

A warm, sunshine welcome is extended to all visitors to our modern, comfortable clubrooms OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK Restaurant Open:Lunch: Mon- Sat. Dinner:Mon-Sun

Top meals at reasonable prices

• Live entertainment Fri & Sat nights • Parking • Conference room • Taxi chits available for discounted fares

Membership still open. Affiliated members Welcome

Conveniently located to Marine Parade, motels and city centre THERE ARE NO STRANGERS AMONG US, ONLY FRIENDS WE HAVE NOT MET.

tArAdAle

156 Gloucester Street Ph/Fax 06 844 4808

Clubrooms Open Mon-Fri 8.30 am Sat-Sun 10.30 am

Meals Available 7 days - Lunch & Dinner When in Napier or Hastings visit us, we are only 8 minutes from either city. Motel accommodation next door with discounts available

All Visitors Assured of a Warm & Sincere Welcome

FOXTON RSA INC.

JOHNSONVILLE

1 Easton Street. Ph: 06 363 7670 Fax: 06 363 6838 Email: foxtonrsa@xtra.co.nz www.foxtonrsa.co.nz

OPEN 7 DAYS

& distriCts rsA inC

& DISTRICTS RSA Inc 139 - 141 Johnsonville Road (Just off the motorway) Telephone: 04 478 5895

CLUB HOURS Mon: 2pm–7pm Tues: Midday-7pm Wed: 11am–9.30pm Thur: 11am-10.00pm Fri/Sat: 11am till late Sun 12am–7pm

FEATURES Pool, Darts, Big Screen, EFTPOS, Courtesy

Coach,Off Sales, Gaming, SKY TV, Live Entertainment, Karaoke, Jukebox, Air conditioning - Conference room for hire, Power plugs for motorhomes Restaurant available Thur – Sat for Lunch & Dinner ALL RSA & CHARTERED CLUB MEMBERS WELCOME

Gaming, Snooker, Pool, Darts, Bowls Hours Mon toThurs 11am-10pm. Fri, Sat 11am-11pm. Sun 12-9pm Bofors Restaurant Open Lunch Fri & Sun 12 - 2pm Dinner Wed-Sat 5.30 - 8.00pm, Sun Roast 5.30 - 8.00pm

A warm friendly Club just 10 minutes from the heart of Wellington

TAWA RSA Mon to Wed & Sun 4- 7pm Thurs & Sat 4 -8pm. Fri 4 -10pm Meals Friday 6.30 - 8.00pm

POOl DARtS SKy tV

Open for All generations

OPEN SEVEN DAYS * Sky Tv * TAB * Gaming Room * Pool * Darts * Indoor Bowls * EFTPOS * Wine Club * Kapa Haka BAR HOURS Mon 11am - 7pm. Tues 11am - 7pm. Wed 11am - 8pm. Thurs 11am - 11pm. Fri 11am - 12pm. Sat 10am - 12pm. Sun 10am - 9pm

RESTAURANT HOURS

FeATuReS: *ATM * eft-pos * Modern dual Jackpot 18 Gaming Machines * 8-Ball * Snooker * Darts * Sky TV * Library * Live entertainment FunCtion FaCiLities aVaiLaBLe FoR HiRe

RSA - That’s the Spirit

32 Bristol Street, Levin (next to KFC) P: 368 3475 e: rsalevin@paradise.net.nz www.levinrsa.org.nz

MARLBOROUGH - NELSON WEST cOAST cANTERBURY OTAGO - SOUTHLANd

ASHBURTON Where the North meets the South

GREYMOUTH RSA CLUB 181 Tainui Street Facilities include a family bar, pool table, dart boards & gaming machines. Housie is played every Monday at 7.30pm. Raffles Tuesday & Friday.

We extend to all members a cordial invitation to visit our clubrooms situated on the main highway 5 minutes from the town centre and motels.

HOURS: Mon - Sun open from 12pm. Lunch time Courtesy Coach Available Fridays

Call and make some West Coast friends

MOSGIEL

When travelling near Dunedin call at our clubrooms in Mosgiel. You will be given a warm welcome and you may meet some old friends.

21 Waiti Rd Timaru Ph: 03 688 4123

Hours: Tues - Thurs 11am -10pm.

Fri 11am - Late. Sat 3pm - Late. Sun 11am - 6pm.

Meals: Lunch Tues - Fri & Sun 12 - 1.30pm.

Dinner Fri, Sat 6pm to 8pm Breakfast Sunday 9am-11am

Music Every Saturday Housie Tuesday Nights

VISITORS WELCOME

RIVERTON RSA 141 Palmerston Street

Tues - Thurs 3 - 10pm. Fri 3 - 11pm. Sat 3pm - 11pm When travelling near Western Southland, call in at our clubrooms where you will receive a friendly welcome and hospitality

inVeRCaRgiLL WoRKingMen’s CLuB inC. Incorporating the inVeRCaRgiLL R.s.a.

154 Esk Street, Invercargill Ph. 03 218 8693 Fax 03 218 3011 e-mail office@iwmc.co.nz Hours Mon - Wed. 11.00am - 10.00pm Thurs. 11.00am - 11.00pm Fri. 11.00am - 12 midnight Sat. 10.00am - 1.30am Sun. 12.00noon - 9.00pm Bottle Store Corinthian Restaurant open for lunch Mon - Fri 12noon - 1.30pm Dinner Thurs. - Sun. from 6.00pm Corinthian Convention Centre available for meetings, conferences or functions, large or small 24 Gaming machines - 5 snooker tables Sky TV 5 pool tables Raffles Mon. - Sat. Band on Sat. nights Off-street parking

Milton Bruce RSA 31 Union Street, Milton Ph: 03 417 8927

Open daily from 5.00pm *All Welcome*

Chartered Club 66 Wellington St

Picton

RSA & Club

Full Trading Hours.

Pool & Snooker Tables. Games Machines.

Bistro Meals: Open 7 Days

Everybody Welcome

NELSON RSA (Inc)

168 Tahunanui Drive, Nelson. Phone 03 548 6815.

Open from 11.00 am Monday – Saturday; 11.30 am Sunday Tribute: 6.00 pm Wednesdays Lunch 11.00 am – 2.00 pm; Dinner 5.30 – 8.30 pm

ALL VISITORS WELCOME

Thurs, Fri & Sat. Dinners 5.30 - 9.30pm

NEW, RETURNED & SERVICE MEMBERS MOST WELCOME

All Indoor Sports available. Gaming Machines Live Music Saturday nights.

Wheelchair available

club open:

Full Platter Bistro:

5 -7 McKillop St, Tel: 04 237 7695 Fax 04 238 2343

Mon+Wed Lunch noon. Bistro Thurs, Fri, Sat 5.30-8pm

Mon to Thur and Sat: 10.30am -10pm Fri: 10.30am - 11.00pm Sun: 10.30am - 6.00pm Lunch 12.00 - 2.00pm Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sun Dinner Wed-Sat 5.00pm - 8.30pm

PORIRUA RSA (Inc)

Hours Mon - Tues: 11am-7pm. Wed Thurs Fri: 11am-10pm. Sat: 11am-12pm. Sun: 11am- 5pm

6 Church St (Opens: 11 am) Lunches 7 days from 12noon Dinner Wed - Sat from 5.30pm

LEVIN RSA

TIMARU

12 Cox Street

MEMORIAL RSA

89 Oxford St. Ph: 232 5788

A warm welcome is extended to all RSA & Chartered Club visitors We are open:

ASHBURTON RSA [INC]

RANGIORA RSA CLUB (Inc)

Marlborough RSA 42 Alfred Street Blenheim (In Clubs Marlborough Complex)

We extend a cordial invitation to all visiting members to visit our Clubrooms open 7 Days from 9.00, Restaurant meals - 7 Days. gaming, Pool, snooker, sky tV.

82 Victoria Street Ph: 03 313 7123

Lower Hutt Memorial www.lowerhuttrsa.org.nz

Restaurant: Lunch Wed, thurs, Fri. Dinner thurs, Fri, sat & sun.

Courtesy Van Available Thurs, Fri, & Sat nights

A warm welcome is extended to all RSA members, families and friends

motueka

CHARTERED CLUB

35 Centennial Ave. Alexandra

Alexandra Clyde RSA

PAPANUI RSA

CLUB night every FRIDAY 4.30 - 6.30pm in the ANZAC Lounge

Kensington Restaurant Open Upstairs Wednesday - Sunday from 5:30pm Bistro Open 7 Days A Week Lunch 11.30 - 2.00pm Dinner 5:00 - 9.00pm Live Band Friday and Saturday 8.00pm and Sundays 3.00pm 3 Bars, Garden Bar, Large TV Screens, Sky Sport, TAB, Internet, Library, Gaming Room, Conference Facilities.

47 Udy Street, Petone. Ph 568 5404 Members, Guests and Affiliated members welcome

BULLS

SH1 Bulls Ph 06 322 0875

Hours Mon, Tues & Sun:11am -8pm Wed -Sat:11am -10pm When passing through Bulls call at our clubrooms, enjoy our hospitality and have a friendly chat.

Visitors Made Welcome

Ph: 03 352 9770 55 Bellvue Ave Papanui Rd & 1 Harewood Rd

PO Box 10 Ph: 03 448 8090 Fax: 03 448 8023 Bar Hours Mon-Sat: 11am-Late Sun: 4.30 9pm Bistro Hours Thurs: 6.30-8.30pm. Fri: 6-9pm Sun: 6-8pm snack Bar open all hours

Access also from

Visiting Christchurch

Try our hospitality in the heart of Papanui. Adjacent to major civic amenities incl. shopping mall,motels & hotels

Club Hours

Mon -Tues: 11am -9pm. Wed-Thurs: 11am-10pm. Fri- Sat: 11am- 11pm. Sun: 11am- 8pm

Bistro Meals

Lunch: 7 days 12 - 2 pm Dinner: 7 days 5pm onwards

Facilities

Eftpos, Sky TV, Snooker Billiards, Pool, Bowls, Cards, Darts, Gaming Machines, Library, Live Entertainment, Off Street Parking.

Power Point for Campervans

Welcome

CATERINg A SPECIALTy Gaming Machines, Sky Tv,Snooker, Pool Darts,Bowls

Visitors Welcome RICHMOND/WAIMEA R.S.A. INC. P.0. Box 3034 Richmond 7050.

Operating from Club Waimea Premises Lower Queen Street, Richmond. Phone 03 543 9179.

Open from 11.00am till late. Club Waimea facilities including Caravan Park facilities which are available to all R.S.A. Members.

Meals are available Wednesday - Sunday 11.30am Onwards

memorial rsa (inc) 49 High Street

www.motuekarsa.co.nz

Open 7 Days Mon-Fri 4pm. Sat 11am. Sun 2pm Restaurant & Dining Room Tues, Thurs - Sun

5.30pm - 8.30pm. Fri & Sat Lunch: 12 noon - 1.00 pm rsa - clubs nz members most welcome

Gore District Memorial RSA Inc

12 Civic Ave Ph: 03 208 6218 Fax: 03 208 6220 Email: GoreRSA@xtra.co.nz Clubrooms Open 10.30 am 7 days a week Bar Hours Mon - Fri 10.30 am - 11 pm Sat 10.30 am - 1 am Sun 10.30 am - 9.30 pm Family Bar The Gore RSA Bistro Wed - Fri 12-2 pm.

Tues - Sun 5.30 pm - 8 pm Private functions by arrangement * 5 F/size Snooker Tables * 18 Gaming Machines * Big Screen Sky TV * TAB Live entertainment each month. Tea coffee in our smoke free lounge. Off street parking for visitors.

Raffles: Thurs & Fri. Flag 500 Wed 7 pm during winter

32

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

Travel Australia 1 & 2 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom sub-penthouses. All fully self-contained apartments with private spa baths.

Expansive sea views opposite patrolled beach.

Resort facilities – indoor heated pool heated (to 31oC) and spa, outdoor pool, tennis court, gym, games room.

271 Elizabeth Street, Sydney + 61 2 9264 6001

DIRECT BOOKING ONLINE NOW AVAILABLE Visit: www.hydeparkinn.com.au

The Hyde Park Inn offers friendly, personalised service and spectacular views across Hyde Park. Central CBD location, just minutes to shopping, theatres, Central Station, The Opera House, Darling Harbour and Kings Cross.

Our features include: • Self catering facilities • Complimentary continental breakfast • Air-conditioning • Balcony to Deluxe Rooms • Large family rooms and apartments • Free car parking • Free in-house movie channels • Guest laundry • DVD players to all rooms • In-room Broadband Access • Flat Screen LCD televisions

MAJORCA ISLE

Maroochydore Accommodation 27-31 6th Avenue Maroochydore P. 00 617 5443 9437 www.majorca-isle.com

Owned by RSL NSW Branch • Special rates for RSA Members • Special long term rates available Eligible RSA members can join a NSW RSL Sub Branch for even better rates.

Fully S/C 1, 2 & 3 bedroom holiday apartments facing Maroochydore’s patrolled surf beach perfectly located in the heart of Sunshine Coast.

Pool renovation special 29th Jan 2013 to 28th March email or call for details 238 The Esplanade Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 Ph. 00 617 5535 8866 Fax. 00 617 5535 8523 Email. mail@burleighsurf.com.au

MALIBU MOOLOOLABA

• Ocean Views from all Apartments • 2 Bedroom / 2 bathroom air conditioned • Heated lap pool & spa • Lift access to all 10 floors • Secure U/C Parking • Central to cafes, restaurants, shops, bars & clubs • TV / DVD FREE Austar • 2 Rooftop apartments (Private BBQ) - One with spa SPECIAL DISCOUNT IF YOU MENTION THIS ADVERT 81 The Esplanade Mooloolaba 4557 Ph: 00617 5444 1133 Fax: 00617 5444 1280 E: info@mailibu.com.au www.malibu.com.au

Heated pool, sauna, spa, tennis court and games room.

Close to Cafes, Restaurants, Boutiques, RSL, Surf & Bowls Clubs.

Anyone for f a Gold Coast Getaway??

Getaway??

Welcome to Palazzo Colonnades boutique, high-rise holiday accommodation apartments in Surfers Paradise....

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Fully self contained, air conditioned one bedroom and two bedroom apartments

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Swimming pool, spa, sauna, gymnasium and BBQ facilities

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Under cover, fully secured free parking

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Flat screen televisions and AUSTAR cable television free of charge

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In room wireless internet broadband service

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Extensive choice of restaurants within minutes walking distance

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1.5km from Gold Coast Exhibition and Convention Centre

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150 metres to the beach and 6-8 minutes leisurely stroll to Cavill Avenue

Stay 5 Pay 4 from AUS $580.00* TO BOOK PHONE +61 7 5538 4555

FOR THE BEST RATES BOOK DIRECT AT OUR NEW WEBSITE: www.palazzocolonnades.com.au * Valid for sale & travel until 31/3/13. Block out dates apply.

Surfers Paradise

Absoloute waterfrount location only minutes from the heart of Caloundra.

Spacious self contained apartments, gym, pool, spa, kiddies pool, sauna.

Walking distance to shops and restaurants. Secured complex with on-site Mangers.

Moorings Beach Resort 88 Esplanade, PO Box 225, Golden Beach, Caloundra Q 4551 e: moorings@westnet.com.au www.mooringsbeachresort.com.au

Ph: 00617 5492 1388

LEVIN Ploughman Motel 364 Oxford St, 0800 12 24 48, ploughmanmotel@paradise.net.nz, very affordable rates, 6 spacious comfortable g/floor units, free wireless Internet, 500m to town & RSA, 75mins to ferry.

NAPIER. Colonial Lodge Motel. Next door to Taradale RSA. 17 g/f fully s/c units serviced daily.

Sky digital, heated swimming & private spa pools, games room, bbq, large garden grounds.

Qualmark 4 Star Plus.Tariff $110 - $150 for 1-2 persons. RSA member discount. Reservations 0800 68 44 77. Ph/Fax 06 844 7788. Your hosts Sarah & Mark Johnson. stay@colonialmotel.co.nz www.colonialmotel.co.nz

NELSON Mapua. S/C f/furn 1 bdrm flat. $75 per night. Long term neg. Handy to sea.

Ph: 03 540 3880

PALMERSTON NORTH. United Motel. 682 Pioneer Hwy. 12 groundfloor units, studio & family, cooking facilities, Sky TV, spa pool, handy to town. Ph 0800 27 06 11 RUSSELL. F/furn 2 bdrm apartment. Sleeps 4 available all year. 2 adults $400 p week or $80 p night, $15 pn extra person. Ph: 09 426 9747 Fax: 09 426 9780 Email: donandmyra@xtra.co.nz

HOT DEAL!

Address: 2988 - 2994 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise. 4217 Telephone: +61 7 5538 4555 Email: info@palazzocolonnades.com.au

Luxurious, Tranquil, Breathtaking

Travel New Zealand

w w w.burleighsur f.com.au

Fully self contained boutique apartments - 4 star self rating, all with lift access, airconditioning & ocean views. Direct access to beach 50 meters. Heated pool and spa, BBQ area. Transport arranged from Brisbane or Coolangatta Airports. Easy walk to heart of Surfers or Broadbeach

Book direct and get great deals from friendly kiwis, Ph: 00617 5526 7588, Or email: info@emeraldsands.com.au Or visit: www.emeraldsands.com.au

ACAPULCO MOTOR INN TAUPO

Welcomes RSA members Off season discounts may apply 20 ground floor units 10% Discount to all members 19 Rifle Range Road www.acapulcotaupo.co.nz

email: admin@tgarsa.co.nz

Phone 0800 378 7174 HAMILTON. Barclay Motel, 280 Ulster St. Close to City, RSA & all amenities. RSA Member Special, from $99 double, including 2 free continental breakfasts. Hosts/owners, Neil & Margaret Brimblecombe ex CPO RNZN. Booking Feephone 0800 80 80 90. Ask about our Sunday & Monday Specials. Check us out - www.barclay.co.nz.

HAMILTON Gardena Court Motel. We are close to all clubs, amenities, RSA members special from $99 single/Dble includes continental breakfast for 2 each morning subject to availability. We Guarantee value for money.

Hosts: Alan & Dale Padgett. 257 Ulster St. Ph 07 838 1769.

Email: rsa@gardena.co.nz. Web: www.gardena.co.nz Reservations: 0800 STAY GARDENA (0800 782 942)

WANGANUI. Bignell St Motel, Quiet Warm Friendly, Comfortable, Pets by arrangement $55 single + $15pp extra. Phone Now 0800 244 635 WELLINGTON Harbour City Motor Inn Cnr Victoria & Webb Str 0800 33 24 68 e: harbourcitymotorinn@ xtra.co.nz, www.harbourcitymotorinn.co.nz. Located in central city with studios, one bedroom unit and 3-bedroom apartment. Close to airport & ferry. Special RSA rates. Host Dolly.

WHAKATANE Bay Hotel Units 90 McAllister Street. Very handy to RSA. Discount for RSA members. Friendly service, courtesy pickup, Pets very welcome. Your hosts Betty & Willy Arends.

Ph 07 308 6788 Fax 07 308 6749

33

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

Medals Special 24 day NZ escorted tour combines all the

MEDAL MOUNTING COURT STYLE

SWING STYLE

Medals professionally mounted court or swing style. $15 per medal. Courier return $6.10 . No hidden costs.

Damage free mounting. New ribbon.

Fully insured. Framing service. Medal cases, replicas and miniatures stocked.

Free NZDSM or NZOSM lapel pin with each mounting order. NZ wide mail order service or by appointment.

Turnaround is usually 7 days.

A G Bairstow NZ Medals Ltd

PO Box 128-134, Remuera, Auckland 1541 Ph : 09 571 2074 aubreyb@clear.net.nz

www.nzmedals.com

ALSO BUYING MEDALS, DIARIES AND MILITARY ITEMS

MEDAL MOUNTING

Court or Swing Style, Full Size & Miniature medals,Ribbon Bars, Extra sets of medals for family, Framed Family Groups. Supplier of replica WW2 wings and brevet.

26 Years Experience. Contact: Tony Prowse, 6 Chilton Dr, Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast Ph. 04 2973232. Email: tsprowse@xtra.co.nz

MEDALS MOUNTED Court or Swing style.

Professional quality guaranteed work. Reasonable prices. Medals also framed for family history displays, museum quality work. Medals & military souvenirs purchased for my own collection especially gallantry awards eg. DFC, MC, MM etc.

German & Allied hats, helmets uniforms, RNZAF RAF pilots wings & boots also sought. Ph: Ian Hamilton 09 266 5783

English Tie & Medal Co Medals mounted or supplied. * Full size or miniature Replica Medal groups for family members. * Blazer Badges and Framed Medal Displays. * Commemorative medals, incl. CMT. We do not deal or trade original medals

highlights - from ANZAC Day 2015 at Gallipoli to the battlefields of Belgium and France, through to Paris, and the beatiful Loire Valley. PLUS a special visit to Le Quesnoy, Liberated by NZ troops and to Create.

Limited Spaces - CONTACT us today.

Phone: 0800 356 728 THE TOUR COMPANY. P.O.Box 128-022, REMUERA, AUCKLAND 1541 Email:

info@travcorp.co.nz www.Gallipoli2015.co.nz

16 day Gallipoli 2015 cruise Greece, Egypt, Israel, Greek Isles, Turkey, Gallipoli for ANZAC Day 25 April 2015 and then return to Greece.

Outside cabin from only $6,795

per person.

Optional extension: 14 day (post cruise) escorted tour to Crete and European battlefields.

Tour commences April 2015 Ref AZS15

Phone: 0800 356 728 THE TOUR COMPANY. P.O.Box 128-022, REMUERA, AUCKLAND 1541 Email: info@travcorp.co.nz www.Gallipoli2015.co.nz

P. 09 838 4828 F. 09 838 4850 W. www.medals.co.nz 6 Central Park Drive, Henderson, Auckland 0610

Tours VIETNAM TOURS 20 Days ex Auck, Wgtn, Chch.

From $6495 pp share twin. Special conditions apply. Kiwi Vietnam Tours PO Box 123 Rongotea Ph 06 324 8444, info@kiwivietnamtours.co.nz www.kiwivietnamtours.co.nz

Pilgrimages Battle of Montecassino 70th Anniversary Pilgrimage May 2014 MEDAL MOUNTING, MILITARY HISTORY & GENEALOGY RESEARCH. Orders, decorations & medals (full size & miniatures) court mounted for day, evening wear, and for family history displays. Medals mounted with respect for over 40 years with no modifications to medals or clasps. Contact Medal Mounting Wellington, H.E. Chamberlain, Ph: 04 293 3504. 470 Te Moana Rd. Waikanae. Email: clas.chamberlain@xtra.co.nz.

Medals Mounting Quality Assured - NZ

April 2015

Battle of Crete 75th Anniversary Pilgrimage May 2016

BOOKINGS & REGISTRATIONS NOW AVALIABLE

FULLY ESCORTED TOURS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

avoid damaging expensive suits!

[07] 849 9982 | 027 277 2790 v.johnson@slingshot.co.nz nzmilitarymedals.com 31 English Street, Hamilton 3200 www.nzmilitarymedals.com

For a free colour brochure contact Scottsdale Tours FREE phone 0800 66 44 14 www.scottsdaletours.co.nz

NEW: Discount for NZDSM remount, read conditions on website.

FREE: Devices to attach medals to garments,

Web:

100th Anniversary Pilgrimage

Our 2013 programe includes: NZ: High Country Spectacular, Pacific Coast, Winterless North, Hawkes Bay Historic Homes, Top of the South, South of the South, Chatham Islands, Taranaki Rhodo Fest, Kapiti Coast, Taipa Bay for Christmas. AUSTRALIA: Tasmania, Lake Eyre & Outback, Wet Season Spectacular (from Darwin), Melbourne, Adelaide and the Murray River, Cape York, Gold Coast Stay Put, Red Centre, North West Safari, Western Australian Wanderer, Waltzing the Matilda.

PACIFIC: Norfolk Island, Samoa

Military Medals mounted or remounted, highly polished and fitted with new ribbon. Top quality replica military medals, see website.

Phone: Email: Mail:

Gallipoli – ANZAC Day

To make a booking or to register your interest please call Tempo Holidays on 0800 443510 or email pilgrimages@tempoholidays.co.nz

Notices Got a story to tell?

Need a freelance writer?

Sharen Watson Editorials & advertorials 021 571224 www.freelancewrite4u.com

34

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

What’s New

GREAT WW1 ESCAPE STORY TO BE TOLD Karen Phelps

A new book and film about the Kaserne Holzminden British and Allied officers’ prisonerof-war camp in Germany hopes to bring to light the forgotten plight of New Zealand and Australian World War 1 POWs. From September 1917 to December 1918, more than 550 military personnel and merchant mariners – many Kiwis and Aussies, plus men from Canada, England, India, Ireland, Scotland and South Africa – were held in the camp.

In July 1918 a trio of serial escapists – Royal Flying Corps aviators Capt David Gray, Capt Caspar Kennard and Lt Cecil Blain – began plotting a seemingly impossible escape.

Locating the point closest to the security walls and barbed wire, they began digging a tunnel under the stairs in the orderlies’ quarters.

Using little more than kitchen cutlery, they dug through rock and packed earth. They dug in shifts, always taking care to appear at roll-call to avoid arousing suspicion.

As the tunnel lengthened, the covert escape committee grew larger. An escape factory was set up in an attic, where escape tools were manufactured from whatever could be found.

They forged travel documents, reproduced photographs and made clothes.

Nine months on, 29 POWs escaped via the tunnel. Ten made it to the safety of Holland;19 were recaptured and returned to the camp to await a German court-martial and sentencing.

Some of the New Zealanders and Australians were involved in the escape.

Brisbane-born producer and mining engineer Ross Thomas – whose grandfather was an infantry soldier on the Western Front in World War 1 and father a Lancaster pilot in World War 2 – says he was inspired to make a film of the Holzminden story after becoming interested in Australian tunnellers of World War 1 through a connection to his own mining career.

“The World War 1 Holzminden tunnelling escape story rivalled that of many from World War 2 already in film in its planning and audacity.

What I found intriguing was that many involved in the tunnel planning and digging were pilots who had acquired tunnelling skills from previous escape attempts at other POW camps.”

He says the story is important and needs to be told because it is about ordinary people who did extraordinary things.

Writer Jacqueline Cook, from Brisbane, is penning a book, Faces of Holzminden, and a screen-play, The Enemy Within. She says her

Chatham Islands

Idea takes dramatic form 50 years on Karen Phelps An original play about the men of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company has finally been performed – more than 50 years after the idea was conceived.

The Miners of Waihi, written by 87-year-old Hamilton playwright Campbell Smith, tells the story of the men who enlisted in the Tunnelling Company. The play’s debut by the Waihi Drama Society in November coincided with the centenary of the 1912 Waihi miners’ strike.

Director Kerry Single says the play helped the audience understand the realities of war for the tunnellers and gave an insight into their story.

“The audience found the play quite moving.

A lot of people hadn’t realised the hardships the men faced over there. The actors said it gave them a realistic view of what it must have been like.”

Another of Smith’s plays, Soldier’s Song, about

the execution of deserters and conscientious objectors on the Western Front by the British in World War 1, was performed in Parliament in 2001 to coincide with MP Mark Peck’s bill pardoning the men. Campbell Smith has recently received an honorary doctorate from Waikato University.

Sue Baker Wilson, from voluntary organisation Waihi Heritage Vision, has been heavily involved with researching the tunnelling company.

“It is quite remarkable that, as we head towards the World War 1 centennial, an 87-year-old is leading the way in providing opportunities for communities to reflect on and remember their stories.”

Single, who is a member of the Taradale RSA, says the play clearly showed the effects of war on a small community like Waihi.

“It was my way of giving something back to those guys who fought for the country I have now. It was a story that needed to be told.”

SA War history – at the point of a gun The excavated tunnel through which 29 men escaped from the Kaserne Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp.

research has brought together POW descendants who had never met or even knew of one another’s existence, or who had been out of touch for many years.

“We set out to track down the descendants of as many POWs as possible, particularly the ones we wanted to write about. We are in touch with the families of nearly 50 POWs, who have generously opened their treasure chests of personal recollections, photos and memorabilia.

We are fairly sure we have amassed the largest collection of Holzminden officers’ camp photos, poetry and drawings/sketches, thanks to the generosity of the descendants.

“Each story included in the book was selected for its compelling, bio-worthy elements, from the triumphant to the tragic. The only bio not to be written by me is being written by the 13-year-old great-granddaughter of a Kiwi POW; it will be an absolutely delightful addition to our book. We continue to be amazed and grateful on a weekly basis as gems continue to find their way to us.”

Cook is seeking a publisher for her book, and the film script has been taken up by Brisbanebased producer Wernher Pramschufer, of Attractiv Films.

Information about Kiwi Holzminden camp internees can be contributed the website ( www. facesofholzminden.com) by email (jcook@ facesofholzminden.com) or facebook (www. facebook.com/facesofholzminden).

Stewart Island & The Catlins

Discover the history, culture and heritage of these unique islands on this escorted adventure.

Explore the rugged landscape from ocean beaches and rocky coastlines to the diverse flora and fauna.

Staying at the exclusive Henga Lodge with wonderful vistas over the farm, lake and Henga Reserve, guests are treated to warm hospitality, peace and tranquillity, and an authentic cultural experience.

Explore the diversity of the wild south with its rugged & wind swept coastlines of the Catlins to the pristine beauty of Stewart Island.

See wildlife abundant in their natural environment including penguins, seals and albatross.

9 day coach tour enjoys 2 nights in the Catlins region and 3 nights on Stewart Island. Includes return flights to Stewart Island, Ulva Island and Paterson Inlet, Dunedin’s Otago Peninsula & Invercargill.

Departs Auckland 7th Feb 2013

Departs 9th March 2013

East Cape & Pacific Coast Get off the beaten track and discover the East Cape and Pacific Coast Highway with its rocky coastlines & sandy beaches. Stay at Hicks Bay & see the lighthouse on NZ’s most easterly point. Enjoy a guided tour at Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Art Deco Tour in Napier and Gannet Beach Adventure to Cape Kiddnappers.

8 day tour includes 2 nights in Gisborne & 3 nights in Napier.

Departs 11th March 2013

Tours are escorted, include flights (where applicable) and home pick up in main centres. Conditions apply.

Phone Shavourn for further information.

Twilight Travel & Tours 0800 999 887

A member of the Travel Managers Group - IATA Accredited and TAANZ Bonded

www.twilighttravel.co.nz

The title, Our Gun: A Wanganui Krupp Gun Story, undersells Geoff Lawson’s book.

Yes, the life of the Krupp artillery gun – which lay around in Wanganui for more than 100 years before a campaign was launched to restore and display it – does provide a binding thread.

But the gun is really a conduit to a first-rate analysis, description and explanation of the South African War of 1899 to 1902.

Lawson – who describes himself as a history and antique enthusiast – says he set about researching the war because he felt people would be more interested and supportive of the gun restoration if they knew something about it.

His seven-year investigation led him through museum and newspaper archives at home and abroad, and resulted in the publication of this book.

He says the trail uncovered “an incredible story of political greed and military ineptitude, a story where truth is stranger than fiction, a story of larger-than-life characters who forever changed the history of empire and redefined the map of southern Africa, a story about New Zealanders and the part some of them played in it”.

It’s as good a book as I’ve seen on the South African War – a clear, logical and compelling

Geoff Lawson with the Krupp gun.

account of the background to the war, why war broke out, what happened during the war, and its impact on Africa and beyond.

Lawson’s biography says he has written for shooting magazines and periodicals on blackpowder hunting and shooting. Judging on what he has produced here, many of New Zealand’s historians should be consulting him on how to write history that is interesting and readable. * Our Gun: A Wanganui Krupp Gun Story is available at $40 (plus postage and handling) from Geoff Lawson – 06 3432422; info@ourgun.co.nz.

– Dion Crooks

Coll rollicks his way through army life Coll Bell doesn’t make outrageous claims for The Green Machine. He describes it as the story of “a New Zealander’s light-hearted army exploits in the 1960s and ‘70s.

That’s exactly what it is. It’s one of those books you can put down very easily. The good news is that you want to pick it up again and continue.

Don’t expect deep discussion on New Zealand’s military activities in south-east Asia – although the path of Bell’s relatively short army career does raise a number of questions, which he refrains, probably wisely, from trying to answer.

But if you fancy an earthy, humorous look at army life, and an insight into the nature of the New Zealand soldier, these tales will help you wile away the hours.

Bell is at his best in observing and recounting army life – with a wry twist.

Especially: travelling to Waiouru on the overnight express; the seemingly interminable waiting that punctuates so much of military life; soldiers’ ingenuity and improvisation in devising ways and means of helping this time pass; the army’s unerring ability to post people into roles they’d never trained for or even thought about (Bell, for instance, joined the army at 17 because he wanted to go Vietnam; he never got there).

Out of it all emerges the essential nature of the ordinary Kiwi soldier. It doesn’t seem to

change, no matter what the era. Despite all of the military-stuffing around, these blokes just carry on getting on with job, looking out for one another, and having a lot of laughs along the way – even in critical moments of immense stress and danger. * The Green Machine is available at $25 (plus postage) with $5 from each sale going to RNZRSA welfare activities, from Coll Bell – 09 4227817; collcaroline@farmside.co.nz.

– Dion Crooks

What’s New 35

RSA REVIEW • SUMMER 2012

hEAD START fOR AuThOR On BunTY BOOk almost beyond description. It is also a story of the Maori people trying to achieve recognition and equality in their own land.”

Despite Bunty Preece’s protestations that the book is not about him, it does deal with his lifetime in the Chathams. That includes his peacetime role as the Chathams mayor who successfully fought and forced government to forsake that threatened the islands’ future.

O’Connor has two big hopes for the book – that it will be read by young people so that they can see what another generation did; and that it will inspire subsequent generations to recognise the often forgotten sacrifice of the men who came back.

“They had lost their youth. They went away as adventurous young boys and came home battered old men and in a mess. Maori lost a generation of potential leadership.”

O’Connor is also adamant that Preece and his comrades did not go to war to “fight for god, for king and for country”, as the Maori Battalion song says.

“It was to win the approval and acceptance of Pakeha New Zealanders.”

Bunty Preece: Soldier of the 28 (Maori) Battalion has been translated by Kingi Ihaka into Maori.

The two versions sit back to back in the 232-page, hardback volume that sells for $69.99.

John Douglas Publishing has also released a facsimile edition of J.F.Cody’s Official History of the 28 (Maori) Battalion, which was printed 1956.

The only changes to the scarce and long outof-print work have been computer enhancement of photographs and a slightly smaller format.

The 515-page (plus maps and 60 photos) book costs $64.99.

Subject and author: Tom O’Connor (left) and Bunty Preece hongi at the book launch.

“This book is not about me. It’s about the battalion, and especially about the headstones around the world that can’t speak for themselves.” So Bunty (Alfred) Preece sums up Bunty Preece: Soldier of the 28 (Maori) Battalion.

The book, written by Tom O’Connor and published by John Douglas Publishing, was launched in Christchurch – just three days before the Maori Battalion was disbanded at a final reunion in Wellington.

A total of 3600 men served in the battalion – 649 were killed during the war and 1712 were wounded. Just 25 are still alive.

Bunty Preece, now 92 and still living in the Chatham Islands with his family, says he was told that he brought the history back with him, and he should share it.

He says the theme of the book is to “remember great men who were all volunteers and mostly from working families”.

He recalls that the ethos of the battalion was always “to do better”.

“We were proud of what we were and of what we were doing. We respected our officers.

We were all competing. Our aim was go from private to officer.”

Preece himself was promoted to corporal and sergeant, then at 24, commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field.

Author O’Connor, who first met Preece when he was 88, says the book was not difficult to write.

“He had had the story written in his head for any years. It just needed to be recorded. Over several interviews and conversations he told me one of the most moving and inspirational stories I have recorded and written.

“It is a story of personal sacrifice and bravery

Three restored classic planes will debut at next year’s Classic Fighters air show at Marlborough’s Omaka airfield over Easter.

Two of them – a British Spitfire and a German Focke-Wulf 190 – belong to the Omaka-based Chariots of Fire Collection. The third is a restored Avro Anson bomber belonging to Bill and Robyn Reid.

More than 100 aircraft will fill the skies over Marlborough. And on the ground, there’ll be an American theme – plenty of stars and stripes, swing music and over-the-top classic automobiles.

Classic Fighters takes off into the twilight of Friday, March 29 and runs until Sunday, March 31. Friday’s practice flying will be open to the public, with Saturday and Sunday the main days.

The wartime “action” will come from both world wars, and will include mock battles against the Red Baron’s Fokker triplane and strafing attacks on Pacific atolls.

Bill and Robyn Reid’s restored Avro Anson bomber will be one of three restored classic planes scheduled to make their flying debut at the Classic Fighters air show at the Omaka airfield, near Blenheim, next Easter.

Bomber, two fighters return to skies over Marlborough Classic Fighters’ chief executive officer, Jane Orphan, says all the entertainment – ground theatre, pyrotechnics, music, wine and food, merchandise, kids’ fun zone, classic cars – will contribute towards enhancing and expanding the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.

The museum hosts film -maker Peter Jackson’s collection that tells the story of aviation in World War 1.

In a special gesture to World War 2 veterans, the show organisers have teamed up with the Marlborough RSA to provide them with transport, a hospitality tent and free admission. Contact: Jo McConnell – 03 5785230; mrsa@clubsofmarlborough.co.nz. Information and tickets: 0800 424774; www.classicfighters.

Gates open at 8am on all three days. The Friday twilight show will begin around 5pm, with the Saturday and Sunday programme running from 10am to 3.30pm.

BUPA MEDICAL ALARMS

THE RIGHT KIND OF HELP, ALWAYS

With Bupa you can choose the help you need – your neighbour, family or an ambulance. This means you can feel comfortable pressing your alarm whenever you need it. We stay on the line until help arrives, and we let your loved ones know if you are being taken to hospital.

Safer at Home Bupa’s in-home sensors make life for carers at home a little easier.

Whether it is knowing that your loved one is safe in bed, still in their favourite chair, or hasn’t fallen or wandered, a Bupa alarm and sensor can help, raising an alert. We can tailor our sensors to suit your individual needs. It’s like having another pair of eyes in the house!

Phone 0800 60 80 99 or visit www.bupa.co.nz for more information.