Voices of the Past

Discover the real war stories of our Kiwi soldiers as they served New Zealand around the world, including World War I and II. From tales of heroic battles and daring escapes to remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice, learn more about our military history with voices from the past.

John Grant: A Builder from Hawera with ‘Valour of the Highest Order’

John Gildroy Grant was born in Hawera on 26 August 1889. In his early days,..

Reginald Judson: Three Gallantry Medals in 34 Days

Reginald Stanley Judson was born in Wharehine, Northland, on 29 September 1881. After an education..

Leslie Andrew: “Cool Daring, Initiative, and Fine Leadership” at La Basse-Ville

Leslie Wilton Andrew was born in Ashhurst (Manawatu) on 23 March 1897. He began his..

Samuel Frickleton: “Magnificent Courage and Gallantry” at Messines

Samuel Frickleton was born on 1 April 1891 in the mining town of Slamannan, near..

Keith Elliott: “Great Personal Courage and Leadership” at Ruweisat Ridge

Keith Elliott was born auspiciously on Anzac Day, 25 April 1916, in Āpiti, north-east of..

A Man’s Best Friend

Animals have long been ‘recruited’ into the armed forces as military mascots and have served..

Alfred Hulme: A Sniper’s Worst Enemy

Alfred ‘Clive’ Hulme was born in Dunedin on 24 January 1911. After leaving school, he..

Charles Upham: New Zealand’s Greatest War Hero

Charles Hazlitt Upham was born in Christchurch on 21 September 1908. He was educated at..

World War II Coastwatchers Remembered

New Zealand Coastwatchers who served in the Pacific during World War II were commemorated in..

The Amazing Life of Gladys Sandford

Not all of our Anzac wartime heroes were men in khaki. A true pioneer of..

Brigadier Reginald Miles, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC

Reginald Miles served with distinction in both world wars. He began his service in Gallipoli..

Gunner the Afghan Kuchi Dog

Gunner was a Kuchi dog which is named after the Kuchi, a nomadic people of..

Quiet Farmer Lies in a Foreign Field

Philip Robert William Soutar was born on 18 May 1877 in Opotiki to parents Alexander..

An Anzac Receives France’s Croix de Guerre

The Croix de Guerre, a French military decoration, was one of the most common medals..

9/76 Trooper William Rupert Pyle

William Rupert Pyle was born at St Bathans (Otago) on 17 January 1889. He was..

4/1232 Lieutenant John McKee

John McKee was born on 3 July 1876 in Thames and on leaving school, completed..

16/757 Private Tamati Te Patu MM

Tamati (also known as Thomas) Te Patu was born on 19 December 1895 at Karioi,..

Freda: WWI Military Mascot

Freda the dog was a mascot for the New Zealand Rifle Brigade at Brocton Camp..

The History of the Featherston POW Camp in WWII

New Zealand’s only prisoner of war (POW) camp was located on the outskirts of the..

Whanganui Teacher Wounded at Messines

Roland Blennerhassett was born in Auroa, Hawera on 3 May 1897. Coming from a large..

Gallipoli Stories

Of the approximately 3,000 “Kiwis” who landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April, about 20..

Motueka Jeweller Dies at the Daisy Patch

Alexander Elder Forsythe was born in Thurso, Caithnesshire, Scotland on 1 February 1886. Thurso is..

Marquette: Nurses of the Maheno

The Stories of Nurses Popplewell, Walker and Rattray. Among the first group of enthusiastic New..

The Forgotten War

The Korean War began on 25 June 1950, when the Communist North Korea invaded the..

Marquette: No Ordinary Troopship

The story of the HMT Marquette and of Privates Victor John Nicholson and John Turnbull..

Marquette: The Hospital Packed on a Troopship

The Stories of Corporals Pettit and Mirfin, Private Nicholson, and Orderly Stone No. 1 Stationary..

Invercargill Nurse Decorated for Duty to the Sick

Alice Clara Searell was born on 18 January 1883. Alice had completed her training at..

Marquette: Nurses from the South, Sailing to the Front

The Stories of Nurses Grigor, Rae, Hildyard, Fox, Gorman, Brown and Clark. Many of the..

A Young Man Disappears

Rupert Sydney Taucher was born in Masterton on 21 September 1895 and lived his early..

Floss

When in England, her (soon-to-be) owner, Driver Percy (Ike) Lowndes, picked up the dog in..

The Legend of Arthur Porritt – WWII Veteran and Olympic Medallist

Following up on the Olympic fever that has been sweeping through the country, we’ve rediscovered..

Boosting Morale on the Western Front: The Digger Pierrots

Accounts of World War One understandably revolve around the drama of it’s fierce battles –..

A Gallipoli Soldier Remembered

Captain Pirimi Pererika Tahiwi The 25th of April is a date still deep-rooted in the..

The Fox

Sergeant Errol Sampson Allison or Bill as he liked to be known, began World War..

Sergeant Dave Gallaher (32513)

18,000 New Zealanders lost their lives fighting on the Western Front during World War I...

Private Patrick Sheerin, Killed in Action

Private Patrick Sheerin, Otago Infantry Battalion Patrick ‘Pat’ Sheerin was born in Palmerston North in..

All Black WWI Roll of Honour: 11/448 Sergeant Henry DEWAR

Henry Dewar was born in Foxton in 1883, but spent most of his early years..

Ceaser the Dog

New Zealand’s first war dog on record was Ceaser the bulldog. On 27th May 2021,..