Kiwis At War
Did You Know
Queen's Scarf
Boer War
"...her late Majesty Queen Victoria was graciously pleased to send me four woollen scarves worked by herself for distribution to the four most distinguished private soldiers in the Colonial Forces of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, then serving under my command... it being understood that gallant conduct in the field was to be considered the primary qualification."
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Field Marshal Lord Roberts
Eight scarves crocheted by Queen Victoria were awarded, four to Imperial soldiers and four to the Colonials mentioned by Lord Roberts. The Queen's initials, VRI, (Victoria Regina Imperatrix) are embroidered in cotton in the lower left hand corner of the scarf.
This scarf was awarded to Private Henry Donald Coutts of the 1st NZ Mounted Rifles for his actions in attempting to save the life of a seriously wounded Burma Mounted Rifleman. Coutts is said to have carried this man for nine miles after first dragging him away from heavy fire at the Battle of Koornspruit, 31 March 1900. Coutts was later commissioned and returned for a second tour in South Africa. By giving a false birth date he also managed to sign on for service in WWI at the age of 51.
In 1913, Coutts presented his scarf to the New Zealand Government and it was displayed in the General Assembly Library before being presented to the Army Museum.
Le Quesnoy Banner
WWI
The Le Quesnoy banner was presented to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (NZRB) by the town of Le Quesnoy, France after soldiers of the Unit had liberated the town by scaling the walls of the medieval fortress, using ladders.
The Le Quesnoy banner along with an autographed letter of thanks for the deliverance of the city was presented to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade by the Maire of Le Quesnoy on the 9th November 1918.
This compliment was reciprocated on the 14th November 1918 when General Hart in the company of four of his Commanding Officers presented to the town of Le Quesnoy a New Zealand flag to commemorate the victory of November 4th 1918. The Maire was deeply moved, and on receiving the flag he caressed its folds and pressed it to his lips. In his remarks on formally accepting the gift, he stated that one of the principal streets of the town had been renamed in honour of the New Zealanders, and that an application had been made to the proper authorities for permission to add the New Zealand fern-leaf to the coat of arms of the city, this being the highest honour that it was in their power to confer.
In October 2005 the Le Quesnoy banner was safe-hand delivered to Tracy Wedge, Textiles Conservator of Auckland to be conserved. Prior to treatment the banner was in an extremely vulnerable condition, with the silk elements of the banner slowly disintegrating and susceptible to further damage as time passed.
The now conserved Le Quesnoy banner has been mounted, by stitching onto an acid free fabric covered board for flat storage and display. This does mean however that the reverse of the banner becomes inaccessible and the banner becomes a two dimensional object.
The before and after photos show the result of the conservation carried out on the banner by Tracey Wedgewhich ensures that the banner is preserved for future generations.
Plate Propaganda
WWII
When people think of propaganda normally visions of posters and leaflets come to mind, but sometimes even tableware can be used to carry a political message.
In 2007 a beautiful decorative plate souvenired by a New Zealand soldier during World War II's Italian campaign was generously donated to the museum.
The plate depicts a roman scene of two women donating jewellery to some seated officials, and on the back there is an Italian inscription that translates as; 'The Roman women go without their ornaments and pleasures in their devotion to religion and love for their country'.
The scene and inscription hark back to Italy's illustrious past as rulers of a vast empire and no doubt was supposed to inspire the country's homefront to undergo hardships for Italy's war effort.
The plate might have been successful but Italy's war effort was ultimately doomed, and when the plate was discovered by a kiwi at the battlefield at Castelfrentano he considered it an 'awful sin to leave it there to get smashed by the shot and shell which was going everywhere'.
The plate was boxed up and sent to New Zealand, and now is a valued part of the Army Museum's Social History Collection.
A Reluctant Hero
"I just did what I was trained to do. It's what mates do for each other"
Corporal Willy Apiata, VC
On 2 July 2007, New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that Queen Elizabeth II had conferred New Zealand Gallantry Awards on four members of the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) Group. One of those men was Corporal Bill (Willy) Henry Apiata and he was awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand.
Corporal Apiata's citation reads:
Lance Corporal (now Corporal) Apiata was, in 2004, part of the New Zealand Special Air Services (NZSAS) Troop on patrol in Afghanistan, which laid up in defensive formation for the night.
At approximately 0315 hours, the Troop was attacked by a group of about twenty enemy fighters, who had approached by stealth using the cover of undulating ground in pitch darkness. Rocket-propelled grenades struck two of the troop's vehicles, destroying one and immobilising the other. The opening strike was followed by dense and persistent machine gun and automatic rifle fire from close range. The attack then continued using further rocket propelled grenades and machine gun and rifle fire. The initial attack was directed at the vehicle where Lance Corporal Apiata was stationed. He was blown off the bonnet by the impact of the rocket propelled grenades striking the vehicle. He was dazed, but was not physically injured. The two other vehicle crew members had been wounded by shrapnel; one of them, Corporal D, was in a serious condition. Illuminated by the burning vehicle, and under sustained and accurate enemy fire directed at and around their position, the three soldiers immediately took what little cover was available. Corporal D was discovered to have sustained life-threatening wounds. The other two soldiers immediately applying basic first aid. Lance Corporal Apiata assumed command of the situation, as he could see that his superior's condition was deteriorating rapidly. By this time, however, Lance Corporal Apiata's exposed position, some seventy metres in front of the rest of the Troop, was coming under increasingly intense enemy fire. Corporal D was now suffering serious arterial bleeding and was lapsing in and out of consciousness.
Lance Corporal Apiata concluded that his comrade urgently required medical attention, or he would likely die. Pinned down by the enemy, in the direct line of fire between friend and foe, he also judged that there was almost no chance of such help reaching their position. As the enemy pressed its attack towards Lance Corporal Apiata's position, and without thought of abandoning his colleague to save himself, he took a decision in the highest order of personal courage under fire. Knowing the risks involved in moving to open ground, Lance Corporal Apiata decided to carry Corporal D single-handedly to the relative safety of the main Troop position, which afforded better cover and where medical treatment could be given. He ordered his other colleague, Trooper E, to make his own way back to the rear.
In total disregard of his own safety, Lance Corporal Apiata stood up and lifted his comrade bodily. He then carried him across the seventy metres of broken, rocky and fire swept ground, fully exposed in the glare of battle to heavy enemy fire and into the face of returning fire from the main Troop position. That neither he nor his colleague were hit is scarely possible. Having delivered his wounded companion to relative shelter with the remainder of the patrol, Lance Corporal Apiata re-armed himself and rejoined the fight in counter-attack. By his actions, he removed the tactical complications of Corporal D's predictament from considerations of rescue.
The Troop could now concentrate entirely on prevailing in the battle itself. After an engagement lasting approximately twenty minutes, the assault was broken up and the numerically superior attackers were routed with significant casualties, with the Troop in pursuit. Lance Corporal Apiata had thereby contributed materially to the operational success of the engagement. A subsequent medical assessment confirmed that Corporal D would probably have died of blood loss and shock, had it not been for Lance Corporal Apiata's selflessly courageous act in carrying him back to the main troop lines, to receive the immediate treatment that he needed.
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