Oriental Bay, Wellington, with American Marines, ca 1942. Reference Number: 1/2-045134-F. Alexander Turnbull Library.
Looking for stuff today, I found a Google Maps entry from nzhistory.net on Map of sites used by US military forces in New Zealand, 1942-45. Worth checking out, and a good overall summary for each site, including military camps, hospitals,commandeered/rented offices, storage areas, receiving and radio transmitting stations, and magazines.
What a fabulous image and a reminder of how it was back during WW2 in NZ with the US forces there.
ReplyDeleteThere were only three things wrong with the American servicemen being here (according to my dad) - they were over sexed, over paid and over here!
ReplyDeleteMy mother, on the other hand, thought the Americans were very handsome and very smartly dressed.
"My dear, I am not wasting time at the computer. I am looking for stuff." Hels, they were certainly much more smartly dressed than our own servicemen. I did not realise the US were in NZ in such numbers. Maybe a back up for when Australia fell.
ReplyDeleteThis month marked the 71st anniversary of the first US soldier to step onto kiwi soil: Sgt Nathan E. Cook, 145th Regt., 37th Infantry Div. He was deliberately chosen to be the first, because of his surname - a doff of the hat to explorer Captain James Cook.
ReplyDeleteIt's likely Sgt Cook has 'passed on' by now...but I wonder what actually happened to him. Did he survive the war? Did he find a NZ sweetheart and live happily ever after? Is he happily blogging, somewhere in heartland USA?
[http://yardyyardyyardy.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/us-invades-new-zealand.html]