Tag Archives: World War Two

February 1943: This month last century

28 February 2013 – 3.37pm

70 years ago, 48 Japanese prisoners of war are killed during a riot at the Featherston prisoner of war camp (25 February 1943)

From 1942, Japanese prisoners of war were brought to New Zealand and interned at the camp at Featherston, in the Wairarapa. This camp had previously been used as a military training camp during WWI.

Carved and painted wooden model of an alligator. 1945, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Purchased 2012. Te Papa

Carved and painted wooden model of an alligator. 1945, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Purchased 2012. Te Papa

The carved alligator (above) was made by an unknown prisoner at one of the camp’s so-called ‘hobby huts’. The other item (shown below) is an example of one of the tokens used at the camp. These tokens, plus craftwork made and bartered by the prisoners, were used to procure goods, as legal currency was not permitted in the camp.

Internment Camp token, Five Shillings. 1941 - 1945, Australia. R. Arendeen & Sons Pty Ltd. Gift of the New Zealand Army, 1946. Te Papa

Internment Camp token, Five Shillings. 1941 – 1945, Australia. R. Arendeen & Sons Pty Ltd. Gift of the New Zealand Army, 1946. Te Papa

The Japanese prisoners also had to work for ‘the enemy’ while they were incarcerated. This included vegetable-growing, furniture-making and shifting rocks. This work caused some prisoners considerable shame. On 25 February 1943, around 240 of them staged a sit down strike to protest against being made to work.

In the confusion and rioting that followed, prisoners began throwing stones and guards opened fire. As a result 48 Japanese prisoners and a New Zealand guard were killed. The other New Zealand guards were absolved of any wrong-doing at a military enquiry the following month. The court’s finding were not accepted by the Japanese Government.

This fatal event occurred when Japan was depicted as a threatening enemy in popular culture and print media (see poster below). However, war-time censorship and fears of retaliation helped to keep news of the clash from being widely circulated in the press.

Poster, ’The Rising Sun Must Set’, 1942, Wellington. New Zealand National Savings Committee. Gift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967. Te Papa

Poster, ’The Rising Sun Must Set’, 1942, Wellington. New Zealand National Savings Committee. Gift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967. Te Papa

Go to Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand for further details about the 1943 incident at Featherston

Read more about the New Zealand home front during World War Two on the Slice of Heaven website

By Kirstie Ross | Posted in Collections Online, Exhibitions, History, Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

December 1941: This month last century

28 December 2012 – 12.34pm

Seventy one years ago, New Zealand declares war on Japan after the bombing of the US naval bases at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii (8 December 1941)

The bombing of Pearl Harbour set the Pacific War in motion. This event and Japan’s subsequent expansion through the Philippines, Thailand and the Malaysian peninsula, followed by the capture of the strategic British naval base at Singapore in February 1942 and the bombing of Darwin in northern Australia, intensified fears that New Zealand would also be attacked.

Jigsaw puzzle, ’The Riddle of the Pacific’, 1944, New Zealand. J W Ltd. Gift of Alison Hutton, 2008. Te Papa

Jigsaw puzzle, ’The Riddle of the Pacific’, 1944, New Zealand. J W Ltd. Gift of Alison Hutton, 2008. Te Papa

Home defence efforts intensified, while negative attitudes towards Japanese surfaced in benign every day objects, including parlour games, such as the puzzle shown above.

By 1941, the bulk of New Zealand troops had been posted to North Africa, one of the battle fronts shown of this comical map.

Poster, ’Berlin’, 1941, United Kingdom. Maker unknown. Gift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967. Te Papa

Poster, ’Berlin’, 1941, United Kingdom. Maker unknown. Gift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967. Te Papa

The leaders of New Zealand, the USA and Great Britain came to an agreement that they would stay there while American troops were deployed to the Pacific. New Zealand would be used as their base for staging operations as well as training, picking up supplies and ‘R&R’ (rest and recreation) for troops.

Tens of thousands of Americans found themselves living in camps in New Zealand between June 1942 and mid-1944. Crown Lynn manufactured virtually indestructible plates, mugs and bowls, like this one, for the Americans to use while they were there.

Bowl, circa 1943, Auckland. Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd. Purchased 1995. Te Papa

Bowl, circa 1943, Auckland. Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd. Purchased 1995. Te Papa

Many of the camps were located near main centres of population, and troops came into regular with locals who provided home comforts, and hospitality and entertainment in venues like the club in the photo, which was set up by the Red Cross in Masterton. This club’s cafeteria catered to American tastes by adding hamburgers and cheeseburgers on its menu.

American Red Cross Service Club, Masterton, 1939 - 1945, Wellington. Gordon H. Burt, Te Papa

American Red Cross Service Club, Masterton, 1939 – 1945, Wellington. Gordon H. Burt, Te Papa

Romance often blossomed between New Zealand women and the glamorous visitors. Around 1500 women married an American sweetheart. Ada Menzies might have been included this number, except that her American fiancé, First Lieutenant Hugh Leidel, died from wounds at Tarawa in the Pacific in November 1943 – a month after their engagement.

’Sweetheart’ brooch, early 1940s. Maker unknown. Gift of Philip Menzies in memory of Ada Menzies, 2012. Te Papa

’Sweetheart’ brooch, early 1940s. Maker unknown. Gift of Philip Menzies in memory of Ada Menzies, 2012. Te Papa

Hugh may have given Ada this brooch, featuring an optimistic ‘V’ for victory, while they were courting. It remained amongst her possessions until her death.

The influence of the wartime ‘invasion’ by the Americans on popular culture and international politics also continued long after the troops had departed from New Zealand.

Read more about the impact of the USA on 1950s New Zealand on the Slice of Heaven exhibition website.

Find out more about New Zealand at home during WWII on the Slice of Heaven exhibition website.

Go to NZHistory.net.nz which covers the Americans invasion during WWII in detail.

By Kirstie Ross | Posted in Collections Online, Exhibitions, History, Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

October 1943: This month last century

21 October 2010 – 4.48pm

This is the first in an ongoing series of blogs about New Zealand history. These blogs are going to focus on 20th century events and objects as well as topics in Te Papa’s history exhibition Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa.

Following from the recent blog about the diarama in the exhibtion showing a New Zealand family during at World War Two I’ve chosen to start with an event that affected Kiwis during the war.

67 years ago: butter rationing begins (on 28 October 1943)

A weekly butter ration of 8 ounces per person (225 grams or 16 tabelspoons) was introduced by the New Zealand government in October 1943. This almost halved the average weekly consumption of butter, which was around 415 grams. It followed the rationing of other basic food items such as sugar and tea. Meat rationing followed 6 months later in March 1944. People had to use coupons like these to purchase these items.

Sugar coupons from ration book, 1943, GH12052 Te Papa

At the time, butter was used daily and often very liberally in practically every kitchen around the country. Suet and dripping were the alternatives, not olive oil or margarine.

Butter rationing meant that many favourite foods and baked goods were affected, even the humble sandwich. One frustrated mother wrote to a newspaper, declaring that: ‘It is bad enough to be without or very short of sultanas, bananas, raisins, baked beans, dates, honey and eggs for school lunches, but without butter too, it is a bit too much.‘

Food rationing was introduced so ensure that New Zealand’s agricultural products were sent overseas to feed Britons, whose diets were suffering because of the war.

This poster, which dates from the 1940s, highlights the importance of New Zealand’s contributions to the British Empire’s war effort.

Poster 'The Empire's Strength' 1940s GH15353 Te Papa

In fact food production was just as important as New Zealand’s military efforts overseas. This was summed up by the slogan ‘Farm or fight! Let us organise victory on both fronts.’ New Zealand also supported Britain’s post-war recovery so butter, like many other commodities, continued to be rationed long after the war ended in 1945. In the case of butter, it was not until June 1950 that restrictions were lifted.

Read more about WWII in Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa

See more WWII posters in Collections Online

By Kirstie Ross | Posted in Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)
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