National Army Museum Newsletter: September 2011

Issue 15: September 2011

September Despatches

600 Grace Street, Chicago
The Voice of New Zealand Rugby - Winston McCarthy's "Kiwis" Scrapbook
National Army Museum Gains Tourism Mark of Quality
Family History Fair
Medal Theft

600 Grace Street, Chicago

1992.2635 American marines at Majestic Cabaret Wellington.

60 years on, Carol Peters still vividly remembers the day she and her family spent with a US Marine during World War II.

Between 1942 and 1944, over 100,000 American soldiers were stationed in New Zealand for varying periods of time, both for 'rest and relaxation' from fighting in the Pacific and to reassure New Zealanders they would be protected should the Japanese land on their shores.

These men made a huge impact on New Zealand society. They provided both relief and curiosity for New Zealanders. Their customs and behaviour, their strange accents, excellent manners, and free-spending habits all made them stand out from their more reserved New Zealand counterparts.

Carol remembers regarding them "as beings from another world, the world of Hollywood; film stars, cowboys and Indians, and glamour". Coffee houses and milk bars sprung up and taxi drivers, florists, jewellers and hotel owners all experienced a boom. A lively nightlife developed in Auckland and Wellington, and 'Kiwi' women were swept off their feet to the tunes of the American 'big band' music.

Read Carol's story

The Voice of New Zealand Rugby – Winston McCarthy's "Kiwis" Scrapbook

NAM’s 1st XV – Playing at No. 11

Winston John McCarthy (10 March 1908 - 2 January 1984) was a Rugby Union radio commentator during the 1940's through to the 1960's who became known as the "Voice of New Zealand Rugby". He is particularly remembered for his broadcasts of the NZEF "Kiwis" during World War II and later the All Blacks matches.

In 1945-46 he was chosen to broadcast commentaries of the games played in Europe by the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force rugby team ("The Kiwis"). These were the first live rugby broadcasts from the UK to New Zealand. It was during one of these matches that he coined his catch-phrase "Listen... Listen... It's a goal!"

Read the Full Story.

National Army Museum Gains Tourism Mark of Quality

The National Army Museum has been recognised as one of New Zealand's leading tourism operators by Qualmark - tourism's official quality assurance.

To earn this mark of quality we undergo a comprehensive on site assessment each year to ensure we have met all the appropriate criteria, focusing on service, facilities, safety and operating systems we have in place and our environmental footprint.

We have been working hard in recent years to ensure we reduce our energy consumption and waste production and have gained an 'Enviro Bronze' branding in recognition of this.

Our challenge as responsible tourism operators is to continue to identify ways we can further reduce our footprint. If you have any suggestions please send them through!

Family History Fair

Contributed by Carlene Sykes.

This popular annual genealogy event was bustling from the time the doors opened at 10am until closing. The National Army Museum's stand was overwhelmed by eager patrons looking to trace the military records of their family ancestors, many of whom purchased copies of 'military citations' and 'active service record' certificates.

Medal Theft

The National Army Museum is devastated by the recent discovery of missing medals. The missing medals were discovered as part of improvements made to our systems and processes, and once Police were notified museum staff have been working closely with them.

This is a historic theft which happened up to sixteen years ago and prior to the theft of the Victoria Cross medals. The charges do not involve anyone currently employed at the National Army Museum.

The current staff are dedicated museum professionals who feel deeply saddened that this kind of incident happened at their institution and remain committed to being guardians of New Zealand’s military treasures. Members of current staff have worked extremely hard to identify the missing medals and to provide the necessary support to the Police investigation.

We are confident that the checks and balances we have put in place in recent years mean that New Zealand's treasures are safe and this type of incident will not happen again. We want to reassure New Zealand that the National Army Museum is the rightful place for New Zealand's war memorabilia and we have taken all possible measures to guard against this happening again.