Sounds Historical for Sunday 2 August 2015

8:07 Today in New Zealand History

French Whaler Buys Banks Peninsula, 2 August 1838.

8:06 Artist: Bridge City Jazzmen

Song: Back Home in Indianna
Composer: McDonald/Hanley
Album: Viscount Music Vaults
Label: Zodiac promobridge

8:18 Postal History

An extract from a 1950 Broadcasts to School programme telling the story of the mail service- "Something We're Proud Of". 7'58"

8:25 Artist: Phyl Mounce and Lee Smith

Song: Honeymoon on a Rocketship
Composer: Johnny Masters
Album: In a Country Mood
Label: Stebbing/Zodiac 2'59"

A 1953 hit for Hank Snow.

8:31 Some radio oddities from recent additions to Sound Archives. Wellington's Radio 2ZB,

"Women's Session" 1939 commercials for Lampton House Wellington & Shoe Paint "Fascinac" by Taubmans. The sound of spitfire bombers overhead accompanied by unidentified male commentary. Protect Soap radio commercial. Comedic stand-up commentary from unidentified male. Prestige Millinery radio commercial. 5'45"

8:38 The Sounds Doctor.

A 1973 Spectrum in which Jack Perkins joins Dr Victor Jacobsen on his rounds and talks with him about the unique launch medical service he provides for the Marlborough Sounds. Part One. 14"18"

8:51 War Report 47 2 August 2015

Extract from diary of Colonel William Malone commenting on the order to take part in the coming battle at Chunuk Bair.

A newspaper report on the re-naming of German Bay on Banks Peninsula.

Leonard Leary recalls the condition of the troops in the few days before Chunuk Bair:

"By that time the New Zealand Brigade had been some months on Gallipoli and every man was affected to some degree by dysentery and its terrible weakening affects. I would like to stress the fact that in health and strength, the men taking part in the action were only shadows of what they'd been when they landed. Probably half of them ought to have been in hospital. I had been with the Wellington Battalion machine gun section on Walker's Ridge for several weeks and every other day, when not with the gun, had seen the pathetic sight of men going down to the beach to sick parade some of them so weak that they had to sit and rest every hundred yards or so, every bone could be seen. Their eyes seemed huge in their hollow sockets and it could truthfully be said they were nothing but skin and bone. A few hours later the same men could be seen returning to their units, in the same slow and uncertain manner, having been given medicine by the medical officer. The shortage of men was so acute that unless one was almost dying there was little chance of being evacuated. Men were sometimes found dead on the latrines in the morning. From the beginning, food had consisted mainly bully beef and hard biscuits with sometimes cheese and jam, and usually for breakfast a rasher of fat belly of bacon, seldom with more than one thin strip of lean. Rations were piled in stacks, without cover, in the hot sun and during the daytime most of the most of the contents of a tin of beef could be poured out leaving some coarse strings of beef behind. Bacon and beef were so salty that an effort was needed to swallow the stuff. Jam was usually poured from the tin. Whole cheeses melted and became blobs of grease on the ground. Over the whole area of ANZAC there was a smell of dead and rotting bodies and this was noticeable some distance out to sea."

Artist: John McCormack
Song: There's a Long Long Trail A Winding
Composer: King/Elliott
Album: Oh, It's a Lovely War Vol 2
Label: CD41 486309

Artist: John McCormack Song: Keep the Home Fires Burning
Composer Novello Album: Oh, It's a Lovely War Vol 1 Label: CD41 6'03"

9:08 As I Remember

Some Recollections of Early Radio by the late Charles Wheeler (born 1914) supplied by his nephew Paul Wheeler of Dunedin. Read by Phil Smith. 5'25"

9:15 Artist: Jack Riggir the Singing Cowboy

Song: The Little Old White House
Album: In a Country Mood
Label: Stebbing/Zodiac 1945-56 2'52"

9:19 On the Bench in the 1920s

William Meldrum recalls his days as a magistrate on the West Coast after World War One. Recorded in 1957. 7'19"

9:27 Artist: Wild Geese

Song: Ridge of Messines
Composer: Neil Frances
Album: Promises to Keep
Label: Private CD 5'14'

9:34 Life as a prisoner of war at Bardia in North Africa

Recorded by Gunner George Stephenson for the wartime Mobile Unit. Some 190 British soldiers including New Zealanders, Tommies, South Africans and a few RAF personnel. Stephenson notes that the of a POW is not a happy one and things were anything but pleasant when they were forced to endure captivity at Bardia the German stronghold in Libya. Afew required medical treatment and were taken by hospital ship to Italy. On the 27 November 1941 the allies were attacked at 7.30 am and they were forced to surrender after being surrounded by tanks. Following their capture they were forced to march 20 miles starting at 12.30pm. They arrived at their destination at 9.9 that night tired, foot sore and weary. The next day the 129 allied POWs were shifted into a compound 85 by 40 yards that was to be their home for the next five weeks and which had no shelter what so ever. Part One. 6"51"

Recorded January 1941 and an artilleryman called George Stephenson was killed June 1942 age 25.

9:42 Artist Joyce Grenfell and Norman Wisdon

Song: Narcissus (The Laughing Record)
Composer: Nevin
Label: Sanctuary Classics (1952) 3'9"

9:45 A Piano for All Seasons

Margaret Fahey talks about her life as a cinema and theatre pianist in Timaru in the 1930s. An extract from a 1976 Spectrum programme. Part 1 15'58"