Kete Horowhenua

While some stayed in New Zealand and contributed to the war effort here, others travelled to overseas locations.

Corrie Swanwick spoke about the Government Services Vegetable Project:

Mr Corrie Swanwick	Listen to full 12 minutes of Corrie's wartime memories	12 minutes
	a. Worked for the Government Services Vegetable Project.	30 sec.
	b. It employed 60 to 70 people gardening on 280 acres.	20 sec.
	c. Manpower regulations were in force, the Levin committee had absolute power over the placements of citizens.	40 sec.
	d. Corrie served in the Pacific.	50 sec.
	e. Mr John Hopkins of the Ministry of Agriculture was in charge.	10 sec.
	f. Mr Jack Hayward was the overseer.	6 sec.
	g. Corrie describes the planting gangs.	45 sec.
	h. Corrie describes the planting.	22 sec
	i. Corrie describes the method of planting.	42 sec.
	j. Weeding tomatoes.	31 sec.
	k. Manpower suspensions.	52 sec.
	l. Burning off onions.	17 sec.
	m. The project opened in 1942 and closed in 1945.	19 sec.

Miss Jean Ransom spent the Christmas holidays manpowered to help in the vegetable gardens:

Miss Jean Ransom	Listen to full 3 minutes of Jean's wartime memories	3 minutes
	a. At Wellington Teachers' Training College during the war years.	39 sec.
	b. Mr Wilkinson was in charge of the Vegetable project.	22 sec.
	c. Spring onions!	29 sec.
	d. Planting cabbages.	31 sec.
	e. Sunburn.	28 sec.

Mr Bert Richards continued to work as an electrician during the war:

Mr Bert Richards	Listen to full of Mr Bert Richards' memories.	4 min 25 sec.
	a. When the war started.	37 sec.
	b. As a qualified electrician he was employed in maintenance duties around Air Force stations in this country.	1 min 26 sec.
	c. Towards the end of 1944.	1 minute
	d. When the Air Force Station in Levin closed.	53 sec.

Mr Jack Blenkhorn saw service in the Pacific:

Mr Jack Blenkhorn	a. When war broke out he was farming with his 2 brothers in Levin.	45 sec.
	b. He was held back from 'joining up' for 1 year until a replacement could be found to work on his farm.	1 min 5 sec.
	c. In September 1941 he entered the Army.	1 min
	d. Commandos were needed to fight the Japanese in the Pacific, so with 100 New Zealanders, Jack undertook training in Australia.	44 sec.
	e. Nylon stockings!	43 sec.
	f. Had a good time camping on showgrounds in Sydney.	1 min 6 sec.
	g. British Army supplied tanks for NZ and he returned to Waiouru to train as Tank Squadron.	1 min 5 sec.
	h. In 1943 was sent to Guadacanal and then to the Solomon Islands.	47 sec.
	i. Talks about war Italy.	1 min 9 sec.
	j. Younger brother David served with the British Navy in the North Sea.	24 sec.
	k. Recounted how they got beer into camp at Waiouru.	1 min 51 sec.
	l. One thousand gallons of Vermouth	1 min 43 sec.
	m. Marching through the Red Light district in Sydney.	1 min 11 sec.
	n. Getting an advance on pay in Sydney	1 min 17 sec.
	o. Solomen Islands were a dreadful place	1 min 34 sec.
	p. He enjoyed good relationships with the Americans.	54 sec.
	q. Talks about times in the Solomens with the Americans	1 min 13 sec.

An unidentified speaker recounts his time in the Pacific:

Unidentified Speaker	a Tells of how he was conscripted to Trentham, finally to the Air Force.	1 min
	b. Recounts his travels to many Pacific locations, ending up at Los Negros.	48 sec.
	c. Describes the huge American Navy repair dock at Los Negros.	43 sec.
	d. Saw General McArthur and fighting British Seamen.	1 min 25 sec.

Mrs Monica Hunt recalls her memories of being a child in the war:

	a. Watching the American convoys on the main road outside their farm at Porutawhao and hoping for lollies.	1 min total
	b. Tells of a picnic at Kirkcaldies farm (next to her grandmother's) at Muhunoa East, where she caught her first glimpse of baseball and BBQ's hosted by American troops.

What Did You Do in the War