National Army Museum Newsletter

A Victorious Escape

Front and back of postcard sent by Lt Col George to his family whilst in a POW camp in World War II.

On a recent school visit to the National Army Museum, Taupo boy Joshua Brown donated an original postcard dating back to World War II, belonging to his grandfather's uncle, Lt Col Cliff George and with it a great story.

Lt Col George wrote home to his family whilst held in an Italian Prisoner of War camp. George served in Greece, Syria and North Africa. He commanded the 25th Battalion in Syria and at El Mreir, where he was taken prisoner when German tanks overran the battalion on the morning of 22 July 1942.

In 1944, like 717 other kiwis during World War II, George along with five others, escaped by cutting a wire fence one night with a tool they had made. They waited until the guards changed from one group to another whilst the camp's searchlights were still.

Find out more about this WWII postcard.

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Remembering the Contribution of the Wellington Regiment

Lt Col Routledge and National Army Museum Director Col (Rtd) Seymour examine the Wellington Infantry Regiment colours.

The prized colours of the Wellington Infantry Regiment of World War One were donated to the National Army Museum in a small ceremony on Wednesday 22nd June.

Over 10,000 men from all walks of life represented the province of Wellington during the war and the colours represent recognition by King George V who approved the presentation of a silk union flag, termed ‘colour', to each of the Regiment's three Battalions who served during the war.

The Wellington Infantry Battalion was formed at the start of the conflict by groups from the four Territorial Battalions of Wellington; West Coast, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki and Ruahine. The battalion first saw action in the defence of Suez Canal and then later as part of the assault on Chunuk Bair in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign. The 1st Battalion was commanded by Lt Col W G Malone, considered one of New Zealand's most outstanding soldiers of the Gallipoli campaign which claimed his life.

The men of the Wellington served with honour and amongst them were awarded 544 British and 26 foreign awards for valour; however it came at a great cost as they suffered 2,193 dead.

Read more about the Wellington Infantry Regiment colours.

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Tankards of War

Brass souvenir tankard showing World War II campaigns.

In the National Army Museum's refurbished VE Day Display are two charmingly manufactured brass tankards depicting character-scenes from World War II. They are classic in shape; slightly tapered toward the rim, with large, angular and somewhat masculine handles. One has a gilt finish; the other's has worn down through time and use to reveal the warm tones of the metal beneath. Both are engraved in the same signature style.

In casual passing they may appear to you as just two more of so many museum objects that the National Army Museum are thankful custodians of, but look a little closer and for a little longer and you will begin to detect something more of the sentiment that they embody. All our objects have a story to tell of the places that they have been and the things that they have seen.

Read on to see what story these WWII tankards tell us.

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New Display for the Army Museum - VE Day

The National Army Museum now features a new Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) display case that tells the story of the end of World War II both on the home front and at the frontline.

Assistant Curator Chris Rapley prepares the new VE Day display.

The new case uses many interesting objects to highlight the story, including a never displayed before full bottle of VE Day champagne that a kiwi soldier bought home from the war.

Assistant Curator Chris Rapley, who designed the case, said the story of the end of the war was riveting because it was a true turning point in history:

"On one hand you had the final defeat of Hitler's Germany, which was a terrific achievement. But almost immediately after that you had the creation of the Iron Curtain and the beginning of the Cold War - which set the global political landscape for the next 50 or so years."

Find out more about the VE Day display on show at the National Army Museum.

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The Heraldry Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions

One of the services the National Army Museum offers to the public is supervised access to the Medal Repository. Medals awarded to service men and women are donated to the Museum and subsequently housed in the repository. Members of the public can view donated family medals while visiting the Museum.

Want to know more about your relative's medals? View our Medals FAQ (PDF).

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