One aspect of my research into the work of New Zealand’s broadcasting units, is to verify the names of the voices heard in the surviving recordings. Documents listing the names of the speakers were sent back to New Zealand with the discs, but they have long since disappeared, with only the discs surviving in theContinue reading “Uncovering J Force speakers’ names”
Tag Archives: history
“Five Māori…set out to do the impossible” – reporting the story of Takrouna
On April 23, a new film Sergeant Haane opens in cinemas, telling the story of a small group of Māori Battalion men fighting in North Africa. In this blog, I take a look at how the NZ Broadcasting Unit reported the extraordinary story. In April 1943 in the midst of World War II, the NewContinue reading ““Five Māori…set out to do the impossible” – reporting the story of Takrouna”
With the Kiwis in Japan – voices of J Force
On August 15, 1945 Japan surrendered to the Allied forces marking the end of World War II. With hostilities over, a new relationship with Japan was required. The United States took over military government of the country while a British Commonwealth Occupation Force, or BCOF, was set up to de-militarise Japan. Around 12,000 New ZealandersContinue reading “With the Kiwis in Japan – voices of J Force”
Her father’s voice: the travels of a wartime sound disc
From Canada to New Zealand, then to Egypt and back – this blog explores the travels of one wartime sound disc and how its contents enabled a New Zealand woman to hear her father’s voice for the first time, 82 years after it was recorded. The observant reader will notice it has been a longContinue reading “Her father’s voice: the travels of a wartime sound disc”