New Zealand in World War I

An unusual newspaper advertisement from December, 1915. Recorded in old age, William Meldrum recalls his 8 months at Gallipoli. Reports of individual soldiers and their progress being a large part of… Read more Audio

An extract from Cecil Malthus' book "Anzac, a Retrospect" describing the beginning of the evacuation from the Dardanelles and recollections from Sir William Cunningham and Sir Ernest Harston. Jim Meek… Read more Audio

William Meldrum talks about a no-man's-land strategy that in his view was an important reason for the success of the 'retirement'. Sgt Walter Cobb describes the departure from Gallipoli and the 'Heath… Read more Audio

War Report 63 - 22 Nov 2015 Broadcast Time: 8:53pm Sunday 22 Nov 2015 Memories of six months on Gallipoli with Joe Gasparich giving a vivid description of the carnage at The Daisy Patch. MUSIC… Read more Audio

In November 2015, a gale smashed landing piers at Helles and Anzac and one officer noted: "All along the beach above the roar of the waves could be heard the crash of the great barges as the sea… Read more Audio

Leonard Leary recalls being wounded at Gallipoli and being taken to Alexandria. Others recall being wounded and taken off with the surgeons on the ships working 70 hours without a break. Audio

Bert Read, who emigrated to New Zealand, recalls his English boyhood and joining up. He sing some of the songs popular during World War One. The gramophone was a popular possession during the war and… Read more Audio

Reports of films being shown in New Zealand of Turkish troops in action and news of the King being injured while reviewing troops in France.

102-year-old Cora Turnbull of Nelson recalls nursing the… Read more Audio

Extract from a letter to the editor of the Otago Daily Times describing horror at the execution of Nurse Edith Cavell. Duncan McCormack describe his reasons for being a conscientious objector and Doug… Read more Audio

By now more than 1700 New Zealanders had lost their lives at Gallipoli and there were reports that there may be an evacuation of the Dardanelles. Sister Elizabeth Buchanan Young recalls the sinking of… Read more Audio

A letter from a wounded New Zealander serving with the Australian Forces and frustration in New Zealand about having no news of what was happening with providing graves for New Zealanders killed at… Read more Audio

Les Cleveland sings some of the songs New Zealand troops sang during the First World War and veterans recall the various nationalities which fought beside the New Zealanders at Gallipoli. A "Clutha… Read more Audio

Veterans Alex Fraser and Lazell Davidson recall seeing the sinking of HMS Triumph at Gallipoli and other naval activity in the region. Newspaper reports of war souvenir editions and the growing lists… Read more Audio

Doug Dibley recalls volunteering to help in troop camp hospitals but ending up being shipped to Gallipoli as a stretcher bearer. Reports from "The Press" giving details of the background of those men… Read more Audio

Cecil Malthus describes being in hospital in September 1915 after being evacuated from Gallipoli and Jim Warner describes his training in New Zealand during the latter part of 1915. A newspaper report… Read more Audio

Poems written home from Gallipoli to his family at Gimmerburn, Maniototo, by Trooper Jack Duncan. Introduced by Adam Macauley and read by Duncan Smith. Audio

Veterans at a re-union in 1960 recall their experiences during the first few months on Gallipoli. Audio

New Zealand suffered some of its greatest losses on Gallipoli during the bitter battles of August 1915. In a recording made some years later, Gunner Leonard Leary recalls what conditions were like at… Read more Audio

Ernest Harston describes the fighting at Chunuk Bair and the tunneling under the trenches. An extract from Cecil Malthus's book Anzac - a Retrospect in which he describes the quieter routine after… Read more Audio

A report with actuality of New Zealand war-related events during August 1915. Recollections of the fighting at Chunuk Bair from Corporal Cyril Bassett of Auckland, a signaller, who was the first New… Read more Audio

A report with actuality of New Zealand war-related events during August 1915, including memories of Chunuk Bair and comments from Cyril Basset who won the VC at that battle. Narrator Jim Sullivan. Audio

Extracts from Cecil Malthus's book Anzac a Retrospect and Padre Henry Blamires describes losing weight while on Gallipoli and another veteran describes the lack of gambling on Gallipoli. A report… Read more Audio

A report with actuality of New Zealand war-related events during July 1915, including recollections by Marcus Riske of seeing wounded men arriving back home. Narrator Jim Sullivan. Read more Audio

Jim Sullivan reads extracts from the Bank of New Zealand 1915 annual report which announces the employment of women cashiers to replace men joining the army and an editorial from the Otago Daily Times… Read more Audio

A report with actuality of New Zealand war-related events during July 1915, including recruiting and a letter from the front from Colonel Malone. Read more Audio

Anonymous memories from Gallipoli: a nurse recalls a man brought to hospital after seeing his brother killed, and veterans describe the humour of Gallipoli. Cecil Malthus's diary mentions action in… Read more Audio

A report with actuality of New Zealand war-related events during mid-June 1915, including lack of sleep and food for the men at Gallipoli. Narrator Jim Sullivan and the voices of veterans Ernest… Read more Audio

During June 1915 New Zealanders would have one of their worst months of the early part of the war with over 400 men killed in action and more than 600 wounded; August and September would bring similar… Read more Audio

By the end of May about 230 New Zealanders had lost their lives at Gallipoli and 40 or so men were reported missing. Memories of Bill East from Havelock and Russell Weir of the Wellington Regiment. An… Read more Audio

The story of 'The Man with the Donkey'. Dick Henderson tells of his war time and post war experiences in a recording made in the 1950s. The 'good news' continues to be published alongside long… Read more Audio

Reports of New Zealanders killed in action in the operations about the Dardanelles. The country is full of sorrow and of sympathy for those who are stricken. Read more Audio

Extracts from the diary of Corporal Christopher Musgrave on the work of New Zealanders at Gallipoli and newspaper reports from 10 May 1915 about New Zealand bayonet charges at Gallipoli and… Read more Audio

An unidentified veteran remembers the first weeks on Gallipoli, avoiding Turkish fire and taking two days to dig a two-foot trench. Newspaper stories tell of casualties. Read more Audio

Memories of landing at Gallipoli and the early fighting from "Bob" and Bill and Laurie Smith. A newspaper report from 3 May naming just three New Zealand casualties. The real number would be known as… Read more Audio

The memories of men who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Read more Audio

Jim Warner recalls the enthusiasm for joining up in early 1915 and the lack of knowledge among young men of what was actually happening overseas. A New Zealand soldier's poem about the flies. Story of… Read more Audio

The wife of the Governor General urging woman to knit two pairs of socks for each serving man and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce refused to use pencils made in Bavaria by Johann Faber. General… Read more Audio

Stories of German atrocities were staple fare for the New Zealand Newspapers: Baby-Killing Again. Taubes Make War. Extracts from a recruiting handbook issued to New Zealand recruiters and historian… Read more Audio

In 1915 there was no New Zealand navy, but many New Zealanders were serving on HMS New Zealand, a ship we'd offered to pay for. It was launched in 1911 before making a tour of the Empire, including… Read more Audio

By early 1915 the garrison on Samoa was being relieved so that men like Leonard Leary could be sent overseas. Leary describes the replacements and his own next move which was to England to join the… Read more Audio

The story of a German-born bowler ejected from a Wellington bowling club of which he had been a long-term and respected member, and Captain Ray Curtis, a Canterbury machine gunner, talks about Maori… Read more Audio

By March 1915 the war had settled down to a round of recruiting, sending parcels to Belgium and hearing news of the New Zealanders training in Egypt. The anti-military training lobby of the pre-war… Read more Audio

Report from the Clutha Leader in which Chaplain Major Grant describes the bad liquor being sold to New Zealand troops in Egypt. Nurse Ida Willis describes setting up hospitals in Egypt. A Whangarei… Read more Audio

Until now there had been few New Zealand war deaths - about a dozen men had died from illness. News came of the first New Zealand battle casualty, William Ham. Read more Audio

From C A L Treadwell's memories of New Zealand troops in Egypt and VD and the Wazzir incident. His description of reinforcements marching over the Rimutakas to Trentham. Jack Mullins recalls… Read more Audio

Peter Buck tells of joining the Maori contingent as medical officer and Doctor Agnes Bennett describes the pleasant journey for the nurses from New Zealand to the war zone. Reports of canteens ripping… Read more Audio

Extract from a soldier's letter home to his family in Blenheim; Marjorie Lees, then a schoolgirl, tells of falling in love with a soldier who was later killed and explains how little young people knew… Read more Audio

Extract from an editorial in late 1914 'It will be a short war'. Jim Warner describes being in camp in Featherston in late 1914 and another veteran talks about training at Awapuni in Palmerston North… Read more Audio

By the end of November 1914 New Zealanders of the Main Body were about to land in Egypt. An extract from the dairy of Colonel William Malone illustrates his "martinet" style as he complains of men who… Read more Audio

As yet there are no New Zealand casualties in action and newspapers must look for local links in overseas news. In New Zealand there's a feeling of urgency as men hurry to enlist before the war is… Read more Audio

Reports from the Otago Daily Times about anti-German feeling and wartinme stoies from newspapers in Tauranga and Blenheim. Captain Pitimi Tahiwi comments on Maori recruitment and Second World War… Read more Audio

In early November 1914 the war still seemed far away. Extract from Bay of Plenty Times in which news was dominated by the battles between British and German troops in Northern Europe. But on 19th… Read more Audio

While the public supplied funds for motorcars and motorcycles to be bought for the Main Body, the army relied on horses for transport. Percy Lowndes and another veteran recall the shipping of the… Read more Audio

Ena Ryan describes excitement of Main Draft leaving and General Sir Andrew Russell describes the attitude of the men. Newspaper report of some soldiers not letting authorities know of the need to send… Read more Audio

Jim Warner of Waikato recalls that no pressure was put on men to join up in the early days. And his own keenness to enlist. Duncan McCormick describes his experience as a conscientious objector. Jim… Read more Audio

Colin Franklin-Browne describes the wild enthusiasm in the streets as troops paraded. The story of schoolboy Teddy Reynolds of Taita wanting to go to war with his father. Tom Seddon MP recalls the… Read more Audio

Clive Drummond tells of the wireless message from Australia which brought the New Zealand troopships back to await an escort. FMB Fisher recalls the reaction of Prime Minister Massey to the telegram… Read more Audio

FMB Fisher describes the assurance from the admiralty that it was safe for the troopships to leave Wellington. Alfred Mazengarb describes the ships leaving and his own ship being held back and… Read more Audio

Ena Ryan describes the rush of young men to recruit and the young girls knitting for the troops. Tom Seddon MP describes the debates in the House and Hansard recording donations, Leonard Leary… Read more Audio

Leonard Leary describes attitudes of locals in German Samoa. Sidney Jones describes living conditions for troops. HS Hyde describes the radio station. The story of New Zealand's second war casualty… Read more Audio

Leonard Leary describes joining up and going to Samoa, CAL Treadwell on the keenness of the officer training units. Sidney Jones on embarking for Samoa. Extracts from contemporary newspapers. Read more Audio

Fred Eustace recalls the school cadets of pre-war days and CAL Treadwell describes the pre-war Officer Cadet Training Unit at Victoria University. Ena Ryan, recalls the men joining up during the early… Read more Audio

Tom Seddon MP describes the announcement of war on 5 August and reaction in the House. Ena Ryan, then a schoolgirl, recalls the events of that day. Extracts from contemporary newspapers in Nelson and… Read more Audio